Medicine for a sick immunization system.
The United States has recently experienced a rise in the incidence of measles and other preventable infectious diseases. Studies have linked the problem to a growing number of inadequately vaccinated preschoolers. The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that only 61.4% of the state's 2-year-olds have completed the basic primary series on schedule. Coverage rates are worse in the Twin Cities, where the number of poor and minority "at-risk" children has skyrocketed in the last 10 years. Two different assessments in St. Paul revealed that only 24% to 32% of the 2-year-olds in the survey populations had received the basic series of immunizations. Public and private health care providers need to work together to eliminate barriers to immunization.
Anderson
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D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006295:Health Resources / Q000639:trends; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008489:Medical Indigency / Q000639:trends*; D008910:Minnesota; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000639:trends