The state of immunization 2013: we are the world

Most vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. are at record low levels, and immunization coverage among toddlers and teenagers is high or increasing. However, importations of measles virus from other countries, resurgences of pertussis and mumps, and the 2009 pandemic of influenza A H1N1 are reminders that Americans remain vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases and that sustained support for public health and clinician efforts is needed. Geographic areas with high rates of exemptions from vaccinations required for school attendance place communities at risk for disease outbreaks. There has been much progress internationally in reducing the toll of vaccine-preventable diseases, through public-private partnerships like the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI). Paralytic poliomyelitis is on the verge of eradication, with wild virus transmission continuing in only three countries - Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Intensified efforts in those countries are critical. The Decade of Vaccines Collaboration offers an opportunity to strengthen immunization in every community and country.