Most early-childhood vaccinations require multiple doses, but about 1 in 6 toddlers — 17 percent — are not getting all of the needed doses, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Incomplete vaccination leaves children vulnerable to preventable diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, hepatitis and more. Full vaccination, however, also protects others in their communities and is needed “to develop and maintain herd immunity at a population level,” the researchers wrote.
Their findings stem from analysis of vaccination data on 16,365 U.S. children, 19 to 35 months old — considered a nationally representative sample. The data was gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing on seven series of vaccines that require one to four doses and protect against multiple diseases.