The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that more young children are getting immunized in the United States for preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis A. This is in spite of public concern from some about vaccine safety, reports Reuters.
The National Immunization Survey of more than 17,000 households conducted by the CDC showed that Rotavirus vaccinations jumped to 59.2 percent from 43.9 percent.
Meanwhile, according to the Reuters report, the percentage of children ages 19 to 35 months who received one or more doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine increased to 91.5 percent from 90 percent in 2010 over the previous year.
The CDC survey examined children born between January 2007 and July 2009.
Part of the report, says Reuters, read, “During 2010, national coverage with all recommended vaccines increased or remained stable compared with 2009."
Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, added, “Today's report is reassuring because it means that most parents are protecting their young children from diseases that can cause widespread and sometimes severe harm. We recommend vaccinations because they are one of the most effective, safest ways to keep children healthy.”
Reuters reports a couple other facts from the report include:
The percentage of children who received the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine rose to 66.8 percent from 54.8 percent.
Less than one percent of toddlers had received no vaccinations, the survey found.
