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Fewer Kids Get Needed Shots

One in four children miss vaccinations, CDC finds, spreading risk through US

By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 29, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

(Newser) – Fewer kids in the US are getting needed vaccinations, a study by the Centers for Disease Control finds. More than one in four have skipped or received mistimed doses of important immunizations, ABC News reports. "It's really important that parents understand how important it is to get their kids vaccinated on time and within the recommended guidelines," one researcher said.

Missing vaccinations puts not only the child at risk, but also the public at large. "If you have vaccinations too early or too close together, they're less effective," an investigator said, "and on a population basis, that really increases your risk of outbreaks." Such lapsed immunizations might have contributed to a recent measles outbreak in California and Arizona.

A nurse fills a syringe at a CVS pharmacy in the Brooklyn Borough of New York on Friday, Oct. 5, 2007.
A nurse fills a syringe at a CVS pharmacy in the Brooklyn Borough of New York on Friday, Oct. 5, 2007.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
More than one in four kids are missing out on necessary vaccinations.
More than one in four kids are missing out on necessary vaccinations.   ((c) Inferis)
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