Improvement in Vaccine Completion Among Military Children

A recent study published on September 19 in *Pediatrics* reveals that military children have shown progress in vaccine completion and timeliness. However, the risk of noncompletion remains higher for children born to younger parents and those who have changed their well-child care location.

Researchers, including Celeste J. Romano from the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, analyzed data from children born in military hospitals between 2010 and 2019. They assessed vaccine completion and timeliness for a variety of immunizations, including those for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; polio; measles, mumps, and rubella; hepatitis B; Haemophilus influenzae type b; varicella; and pneumococcal conjugate, both individually and as part of a combined seven-vaccine series up to 24 months of age.

Findings indicated that 74.4% of the 275,967 children completed the combined seven-vaccine series, though 36.2% of these experienced delays. Among children born in 2016 and 2017, completion rates peaked at 78.7%. The lowest completion rates were observed for rotavirus (77.5%), diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (83.1%), Haemophilus influenzae type b (86.6%), and pneumococcal conjugate (88.4%). Children born to younger parents faced a 33% higher risk of noncompletion, while those with a change in their well-child care location had a 10% increased risk. Similar trends were noted for both delays and noncompletion.

The authors emphasize that the patterns of undervaccination highlight ongoing challenges in delivering immunization services. They call for further efforts to address these barriers and improve access to vaccination care.