Protecting the Public's Health: Critical Functions of the Section 317 Immunization Program—A Report of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee

Abstract

Vaccines are one of our most successful tools for protecting the public's health. It seems simple: a pharmaceutical company develops a new vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses it, health-care providers give it to their patients, and we see disease disappear. But vaccination in the United States is much more complex and only made possible through a robust public-private partnership that begins with the development of the vaccine and continues long after it is used routinely. Along every step of the way, public health-at the national, state, and local levels-plays a fundamental role. The success of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in preventing suffering, disability, and death is one example that illustrates the essential role of our nation's public health systems and workforce in protecting us from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major cause of invasive disease, including meningitis, pneumonia, and bacteremia. In the absence of a pediatric vaccine, pneumococcus was a significant public health concern, causing approximately 63,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease and 6,100 deaths in the U.S. each year. 1 Young children and older adults are especially vulnerable, and many children who develop pneumococcal meningitis have long-term complications such as deafness or seizures. In 2000, a pediatric heptavalent PCV (PCV7) was licensed for use in the U.S. There are more than 90 strains of pneumococcal bacteria, and PCV7 provided protection against seven of them. Before PCV7 was introduced, these seven strains caused more than 80% of severe pneumococcal infections among children. 2 Most health-care providers in the U.S. look to public health for guidance in the use of vaccines. After a careful review of the evidence, including data about the burden of disease caused by pneumococcus, the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, and the feasibility of incorporating it into the immunization program, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made a recommendation for the routine use of PCV7 among children, 2 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) incorporated it into the immunization schedule, which gives doctors specific recommendations for the use of vaccines across the life span. Public health helps inform people about the vaccines they need and the risks and benefits of receiving vaccines. Parents consider many factors when deciding to vaccinate their children. Using science-based strategies, public health provided parents with information about the risks of pneumococcal disease and the benefits of the new vaccine. State and local public health experts worked with the health-care providers in their communities to make sure they had the National Vaccine Advisory Committee National Vaccine Advisory Committee

Vaccine-associated hypersensitivity

“…Vaccines have been recognized as one of the most effective public health interventions. 1 Routine immunization has resulted in major reductions in vaccine-preventable infectious disease and death. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends an immunization schedule for the United States in which children receive 10 vaccines to protect against 16 diseases before the age of 2 years.…”

Recent Development of Ruminant Vaccine Against Viral Diseases

“…Inactivated viral vaccines for a wide range of viral diseases have been available for several decades and are still being developed for some recently emergent diseases (103). The creation of improved adjuvanted formulations to counteract maternal antibodies' effects on young animals has been the subject of much recent research in this field (104). Inactivated vaccines for various infectious diseases must be updated regularly to ensure that they include the correct serotypes (105).…”

“…The creation of improved adjuvanted formulations to counteract maternal antibodies' effects on young animals has been the subject of much recent research in this field ( 104 ). Inactivated vaccines for various infectious diseases must be updated regularly to ensure that they include the correct serotypes ( 105 ).…”

Progress in Vaccine-Preventable and Respiratory Infectious Diseases—First 10 Years of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, 2006–2015

“…Protecting the infrastructure supporting immunization was essential during the decade, even once most insurance plans fully covered vaccination ( 4 ). State, local, and federal immunization programs responded to resurgent pertussis; outbreaks of measles, mumps, and meningococcal meningitis; extended shortages of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate, and 5-in-1 infant combination vaccines.…”