COVID-19 vaccines for children.

Earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Pfizer's COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years of age-that's 28 million children. Yet surveys show that 42 to 66% of parents of these children are reluctant or opposed to seeking this protection. Without vaccination, it is likely that almost everyone-including young children-will be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at some point in their lives.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses in two academic hospitals in Philadelphia.

Objective: To evaluate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among healthcare personnel (HCP) with significant clinical exposure to COVID-19 at 2 large, academic hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Design, Setting, And Participants: HCP were surveyed in November-December 2020 about their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Methods: The survey measured the intent among HCP to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, timing of vaccination, and reasons for or against vaccination.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Health Care Workers in 2 Large Academic Hospitals.

Importance: Significant differences in hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccination by race/ethnicity have been observed in several settings. Racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs), who face occupational and community exposure to COVID-19, have not been well described.

Objective: To assess hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs across different racial/ethnic groups and assess factors associated with vaccine hesitancy.

Perspectives on the receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine: A survey of employees in two large hospitals in Philadelphia.

Background: Health care personnel have been identified by the ACIP as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted a survey in November-December 2020 at two large, academic hospitals in Philadelphia to evaluate the intention of hospital employees to be vaccinated.

Methods: The survey was sent electronically to all employees (clinical and nonclinical staff) at a children's hospital and an adult hospital.

Implementation of a Mandatory Influenza Vaccine Policy: A 10-Year Experience.

Background: Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been recommended for more than 30 years. In 2009, HCWs were designated as a priority group by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current HCW vaccination rates are 78% across all settings and reach approximately 92% among those employed in hospital settings.

Comparison of immunization systems in Japan and the United States - What can be learned?

Recently, efforts have been made to fill a so-called "vaccine gap" between Japan and other countries; however, more work remains. Concerns about adverse events following immunization (AEFI) resulted in an historically passive approach to policy making in the National Immunization Program (NIP). For example, reports of AEFI following human papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV) in 2013 led the Japanese government to withdraw its proactive recommendations, resulting in a sharp drop in HPVV coverage rate to less than 1.

Don't Hesitate - Vaccinate!

Although the rates of childhood vaccination are still high in the United States, there has been an increase in vocal vaccine deniers. Regardless that the safety and efficacy of vaccines has been well established through evidence-based medicine, these individuals are relentless in their beliefs and are dismissive of scientific research. Subsequently, there have been several outbreaks of measles, a serious vaccine preventable disease.

The antivax movement and what allergists can do.

Vaccines represent some of the most stunning successes in improving health around the world. However, vaccine skepticism, whether voiced privately in the offices of healthcare providers or amplified through social and traditional media, threatens to erode these hard-won gains. Vaccine refusal is not, unfortunately, a new problem, but providers need new tools to address it given the ease with which misinformation spreads in the digital age.

Vaccine Safety: Myths and Misinformation.

The World Health Organization has named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health in 2019. The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex, but lack of confidence in vaccine safety, driven by concerns about adverse events, has been identified as one of the key factors. Healthcare workers, especially those in primary care, remain key influencers on vaccine decisions.

The science of vaccine safety: Summary of meeting at Wellcome Trust.

Vaccines are everywhere hugely successful but are also under attack. The reason for the latter is the perception by some people that vaccines are unsafe. However that may be, vaccine safety, life any other scientific subject, must be constantly studied.

Japanese physicians' attitudes and intentions regarding human papillomavirus vaccine compared with other adolescent vaccines.

Introduction: Japan has experienced extremely low human papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV) coverage following the suspension of proactive governmental recommendations in 2013. Several studies have reported that recommendations from physicians increase adolescents' vaccine acceptance. In this survey, we evaluated the attitudes and intentions of Japanese physicians related to adolescent immunizations, particularly HPVV.

Principal Controversies in Vaccine Safety in the United States.

Concerns about vaccine safety can lead to decreased acceptance of vaccines and resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. We summarize the key evidence on some of the main current vaccine safety controversies in the United States, including (1) measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and autism; (2) thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders; (3) vaccine-induced Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS); (4) vaccine-induced autoimmune diseases; (5) safety of human papillomavirus vaccine; (6) aluminum adjuvant-induced autoimmune diseases and other disorders; and (7) too many vaccines given early in life predisposing children to health and developmental problems. A possible small increased risk of GBS following influenza vaccination has been identified, but the magnitude of the increase is less than the risk of GBS following influenza infection.