Vaccines to prevent common and serious infectious diseases have had a greater impact on improving human health than any other medical advance of the 20th century, surpassing even sanitation and potable water. From the global eradication of smallpox in 1980 to the unprecedented development of effective and safe mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, vaccinations have played crucial roles in preventing millions of premature deaths and hospitalizations in adults and children. These monumental efforts have involved coordinated local, regional, national and international organizations and dedicated clinical and public health professionals.
Unfortunately, over the past decade, decreasing vaccination rates now threaten the huge beneficial impacts of vaccinations in the United States and globally. The barriers are multifactorial and include increasing vaccine hesitancy in the U.S.
In a review published online ahead of print in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and colleagues discuss new clinical and public health challenges in vaccinations of U.S. adults.
"In the U.S., the continuing dedicated efforts of all clinical and public health professionals combined with advancements in vaccine technology and the resilience of public health systems all offer promise for the future," said senior author Charles H.
Hennekens, M.D., first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine and senior academic advisor, in t.