Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025
Opsono-Adherence Assay to Evaluate Functional Antibodies in Vaccine Development Against Bacillus anthracis and Other Encapsulated Pathogens
Published on: May 19, 2020
Pediatric Vaccine Limiting Through Age 23 Months Among U.S. Military Families
Celeste J Romano1, Monica T Burrell1, Clinton Hall1
1Deployment Health Research Department, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California; Leidos, Inc., San Diego, California.
Insights
Few military parents limit early childhood vaccines, but this pattern increases undervaccination risk. Understanding vaccine hesitancy is crucial for improving vaccination rates in military families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Vaccinology
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Gaps in pediatric 7-vaccine series completion exist among U.S. military families.
- The influence of vaccine hesitancy on these vaccination gaps is not well understood.
- This study investigates vaccine limiting as a factor in undervaccination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess vaccine limiting as a determinant of undervaccination in military-connected children.
- To identify characteristics associated with vaccine limiting behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Research data (2010-2019).
- Analyzed vaccination patterns through 23 months, categorizing frequency of limited vaccine visits (1-2 vaccines).
- Employed modified Poisson regression to link limiting patterns with noncompletion of the 7-vaccine series by 24 months.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of consistent vaccine limiting was 0.7%; episodic limiting was 3.6% among 275,967 children.
- Consistent vaccine limiters more often had older parents and highly educated military sponsors.
- Consistent and episodic limiting increased risk of noncompletion by 3.9 and 2.4 times, respectively.
Conclusions:
- While few parents consistently or episodically limit early childhood vaccines, these behaviors are linked to increased undervaccination risk.
- Findings highlight the need for increased focus on vaccine hesitancy within the military-connected population.
Introduction:
Recent work reported gaps in completion of the pediatric combined 7-vaccine series among U.S. military families; the role of vaccine hesitancy as a contributor to these gaps is not well understood. This study aimed to assess vaccine limiting (receipt of fewer than recommended vaccines) as a determinant of undervaccination among military-connected children and identify characteristics of vaccine limiting.
Methods:
Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Research program data were used to identify and follow a cohort of children born at military hospitals from 2010 through 2019. Vaccination patterns through age 23 months were categorized by the frequency of limited vaccine visits (i.e., visits with 1-2 vaccines administered). Modified Poisson regression models estimated the associations between vaccine-limiting patterns and noncompletion of the combined 7-vaccine series by age 24 months.
Results:
Among 275,967 military-connected children, the prevalence of consistent vaccine limiting (all limited visits) was 0.7%, and that of episodic vaccine limiting (≥2 limited visits and <3 visits with ≥3 vaccines) was 3.6%. Consistent vaccine limiters were more likely to be born to an older pregnant parent and a military sponsor with at least a bachelor's degree than vaccine nonlimiters. Consistent and episodic vaccine limiting were associated with 3.9 (95% CI=3.8, 4.0) and 2.4 (95% CI=2.4, 2.5) times the risk of noncompletion, respectively, relative to nonlimiting.
Conclusions:
Few U.S. military parents consistently or episodically limited early childhood vaccines, although both patterns were associated with higher risk for undervaccination. Findings suggest that greater attention to vaccine hesitancy is needed in this population.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:25Routes of Drug Administration: Parenteral
The intravenous route (IV) of drug administration can be further categorized into two types. The bolus injection administers the entire dose rapidly, while an intravenous infusion slowly delivers smaller doses steadily.
The IV route is often...