Publications by authors named "Michele Leon-Guerrero"
Strategies to strengthen COVID-19 vaccine uptake and improve vaccine equity in U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States during the first six months of vaccine rollout.
Ashley Tippins Jeniffer Concepción Acevedo Francisco S Palomeque Kelsey C Coy Phillippa Chadd Michele Leon-Guerrero
Vaccine
September 2024
The eight U.S. territories and freely associated states (TFAS) have historically faced unique social and structural barriers in the implementation of vaccination programs due to geographic remoteness, a high prevalence of socioeconomic disparities, increasing prevalence of natural disasters, limited vaccine providers and clinics, difficulties with procurement and shipping, and difficulty tracking highly mobile populations.
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- A significant mumps outbreak occurred in Guam (2009-2010) despite high MMR vaccination rates, mainly impacting school-aged children.
- During the outbreak, a third MMR vaccine dose was given to eligible students at schools with high infection rates, but results showed no significant difference in attack rates between those who received three doses and those who had two or fewer.
- The outbreak highlighted issues like household crowding and ethnic disparities, suggesting these factors contributed to the persistence of the outbreak.