Pandemic Vaccines

The occurrence of pandemics highlights the need for proper vaccination. Despite ongoing improvements in pediatric vaccination, it is estimated that at least two million children die each year from diseases that could have been prevented by already existing vaccines. This problem is most significant in low income countries, with the health disparity between rich and poor countries resulting in average life spans of 77 and 52 years, respectively.

In many developed regions, such as the United States, disease prevention by immunization is a public health priority for both pediatricians and society as a whole. Comprehensive and timely immunization of young children has been a major goal of pediatric healthcare. Today, several government organizations are involved in reviewing and updating pediatric vaccine programs. As a result of the success of vaccination and immunization programs, several debilitating infectious diseases have been controlled.

A wide variety of vaccine products are currently recommended to immunize children against disease. Immunizations by public providers are generally paid for through federal health programs. These programs are intended to reduce barriers to immunization and to improve immunization rates by providing free vaccines to qualifying infants and children.

There have been and will continue to be challenges to the vaccine delivery system in terms of the science, economics, and social impact of immunization; these challenges may increase as new vaccines are developed. For example, shortages of specific vaccines continue to occur, in both the developed and developing nations, and have resulted in significant disruption to childhood immunizations. Another significant challenge to immunization delivery is the increasing concern within a segment of the general public about the safety and potential adverse effects of childhood immunizations.

Adult immunization is an important, but frequently overlooked, part of patient care. Vaccination programs typically focus on children, yet adults in industrialized countries are more likely to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases than are children. Vaccination protects not only individuals, but also entire communities from diseases spread by person-to-person transmission.