Underimmunized, unvaccinated families cluster together

Underimmunization is tied to an increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, the researchers write in the journal Pediatrics. “We now have the opportunity to use really sophisticated methods to identify these kinds of clusters of undervaccination or vaccine refusal,” said Dr. Tracy Lieu, the study’s lead author from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that vaccine rates remain high, some vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles, have made comebacks in recent years. Lieu and colleagues hope that by identifying clusters of people who refuse to vaccinate their children or refuse certain shots, researchers can target prevention efforts.
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