Vaccinations Are Key to Public Health
Oral health professionals are exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted to and from clinicians and patients. Fortunately, there are myriad strategies to maintain a safe environment—from effective surface disinfection to donning personal protective equipment. Vaccinations are another essential component to maintaining health for both clinicians and the public at large. Unfortunately, the United States is experiencing a downturn in compliance with vaccination recommendations, putting public health at risk.
Despite the long history of vaccine benefits, in 2018, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified a trend in which an increasing number of children (kindergarten and younger) are not receiving the required vaccinations.
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Measles was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 thanks to a highly effective vaccination program, as well as improved measles control in the greater Americas region.
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How many individual measles cases were reported across 26 states in June 2019?
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Two forms of the pertussis vaccine are in use: the whole-cell vaccine (wP) and the acellular vaccine (aP).
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In what year was the booster acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for all adolescents ages 11 to 12?
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Pregnant women should receive a Tdap vaccination in the second or third trimester, preferably before how many weeks of gestation?
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Individuals should not get Tdap vaccine if they’ve had the pertussis vaccine as a child or have been sick with pertussis in the past.
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Vaccinations Are Key to Public Health
Not bad, but there’s room to grow when it comes to vaccines and their role in public health. Consider reading more about this important facet of dental hygiene care. Good luck!
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This information is from the article “Protecting Public Health” by Susan Davide, RDH, MS, MSEd, Christine Macarelli, RDH, MS and Anty Lam, RDH, MPH. To read the article, click here.
