New federal data indicates reduced uptake of several recommended vaccines among children by age two, with the largest drop seen in influenza coverage.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Vaccination rates among young children in the United States have declined for several recommended immunizations by the age of two, according to new findings published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a recent report.
Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born in 2021 and 2022 — National Immunization Survey-C… by yourNEWS Media
The analysis compared vaccination coverage between two groups of children—those born in 2019 and 2020 and those born in 2021 and 2022—and found lower coverage levels in the more recent cohort across eight vaccines.
The most significant decrease was observed in influenza vaccination, which dropped by 7.4 percentage points to 53.5 percent. Coverage for rotavirus declined by 1.7 percentage points to 74.2 percent, while pneumococcal vaccination fell by 1.5 percentage points to 80.5 percent. Influenza vaccination rates have declined by approximately 12 percent since 2019, according to the data.
Smaller decreases were also recorded for vaccines targeting hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and polio, though declines for polio and the full hepatitis B series were described as minimal.
Vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella, as well as for multi-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis immunizations, remained largely unchanged between the two groups. The proportion of children who had received no vaccines remained stable at 1.2 percent.
The study was based on data from the CDC’s National Immunization Survey, which gathers information through household interviews with caregivers of children aged 19 to 35 months. With consent, health care providers are contacted to verify vaccination records. The 2024 dataset included 27,392 children across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Survey response rates were limited, with 23 percent of households participating and approximately half of contacted providers supplying vaccination data for children whose caregivers completed interviews.
The CDC noted that its vaccination schedules are commonly used by states to determine school immunization requirements. Earlier this year, the agency updated some recommendations for childhood vaccines, including those for hepatitis B and rotavirus, though those changes were later blocked by a federal judge as legal proceedings continue.
Researchers said maintaining high vaccination coverage remains important for preventing illness and reducing health risks among children. Holly Hill, a medical officer in the CDC’s Immunization Services Division, and co-authors wrote that improving coverage in areas where declines have occurred could help protect against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The findings follow earlier CDC data showing reduced vaccination rates among kindergarten-aged children, indicating a broader trend in immunization coverage across age groups.
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