Rose rates in unvaccinated children and access to health care may be the reason

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that vaccination rates have decreased slightly among children aged 19 to 35 months. But parents who are actively opposed to vaccinating their children – called "anti-vaxxers" – may not be the only ones to blame, the report says. Young mothers and new fathers who want their children to have access to health care and insurance coverage could play a key role in reversing this trend.

The CDC's weekly report on morbidity and mortality, released Friday, included the study on immunization coverage. In general, the figures "have remained high and stable overall," the report says, with an overall coverage rate of 90% nationwide. The vaccines they examined should be given every 24 months and control 14 potentially serious diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, polio and hepatitis B.

The number of children who had not been vaccinated at 24 months was "low," the CDC report said, but it has increased. Rates of non-vaccination ranged from 0.9% for children born in 2011 to 1.3% for children born in 2015 – it is the youngest children covered by the study because they would have had 24 months (or two years) at the time of conducting the study. out last year.

The study did not explore why young mothers and fathers chose not to vaccinate their children, although she commented on the various factors. "Some children might not be vaccinated because of parents' choices, while for others, lack of access to health care or health insurance could be a factor," reads in the report. He noted that "a continuous assessment of the prevalence and reasons for non-vaccination is needed".

There are, however, some clues in this report. Some of the data on which the report focuses most on the place of residence of children – in town or in the countryside – and whether or not they had private insurance coverage. "17.2% of unvaccinated children were uninsured, compared to 2.8% of all children," the report says.

Children in rural areas were also more likely to be unvaccinated. The rate of unvaccinated children is almost double the rural areas (1.9%) compared to cities (1.0%).

Non-vaccination rates separated by insurance coverage, however, differ widely. Private insured children have the lowest rate at 0.8%. Medicaid is a little higher at 1.0% unvaccinated. For uninsured children, the rate rises to 7.1%. The report calls this discrepancy "concerning", especially given the existence of a government program, Vaccines for Children, which offers free vaccinations to families in need.

However, for uninsured children and children in rural areas, access to this program could be difficult. "Lack of geographic proximity to immunization providers, including those who participate in the VFC program, can be a barrier to immunization," the report says. "The shortage of health care providers, especially paediatricians, could partly explain the lower coverage of children living in rural areas."

With regard to uninsured children, it is probably the lack of parental knowledge about the program which explains why they have not used the services. "It may also be necessary to address the lack of awareness of the VFC program and how to access it, transportation, child care and the convenience of consultation hours," the report says.

If you are a young parent and would like to know more about how to vaccinate your child, check out the CDC Q & A about where to go, how much it will cost and more.