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Lance Rodewald

Publications and source records attributed to Lance Rodewald.

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Economic evaluation of the 7-vaccine routine childhood immunization schedule in the United States, 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the economic impact of the routine US childhood immunization schedule: diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis; tetanus and diphtheria toxoids; Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate; inactivated poliovirus; measles, mumps, and rubella; hepatitis B; and varicella vaccines. DESIGN: Decision tree-based analysis was conducted using population-based vaccination coverage, published vaccine efficacies, historical data on disease incidence before vaccination, and disease incidence reported for 1995-2001. Costs were estimated using the direct cost and societal (direct and indirect costs) perspectives. Program costs included vaccine, administration, vaccine-associated adverse events, and parent travel and time lost. All costs were inflated to 2001 US dollars, and all costs and benefits in the future were discounted at a 3% annual rate. PARTICIPANTS: A hypothetical 2001 US birth cohort of 3,803,295 infants was followed up from birth through death. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Net present value (net savings) and benefit-cost ratios of routine immunization. RESULTS: Routine childhood immunization with the 7 vaccines was cost saving from the direct cost and societal perspectives, with net savings of 9.9 billion dollars and 43.3 billion dollars, respectively. Without routine vaccination, direct and societal costs of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, H influenzae type b, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, hepatitis B, and varicella would be 12.3 billion dollars and 46.6 billion dollars, respectively. Direct and societal costs for the vaccination program were an estimated 2.3 billion dollars and 2.8 billion dollars, respectively. Direct and societal benefit-cost ratios for routine childhood vaccination were 5.3 and 16.5, respectively. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the perspective, the current routine childhood immunization schedule results in substantial cost savings.

Chickenpox↗

Financing immunizations in the United States.

Children in the United States receive immunizations through both private and public sectors. The federal government has supported childhood immunization since 1963 through the Vaccination Assistance Act (Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act). Since 1994, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program has provided additional support for childhood vaccines. In 2002, 41% of childhood vaccines were purchased through VFC, 11% through Section 317, 5% through state and/or local governments, and 43% through the private sector. The recent introduction of more-expensive vaccines, such as pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, has highlighted weaknesses in the current system. Adult immunization is primarily performed in the private sector. Until 1981, there was no federal support for adult immunization. Since 1981, Medicare has reimbursed the cost of pneumococcal vaccine for its beneficiaries; influenza vaccine was added in 1993. This paper summarizes the history of financing immunizations in the United States and discusses some current problems and proposed solutions.

Adult↗

Are parental vaccine safety concerns associated with receipt of measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids with acellular pertussis, or hepatitis B vaccines by children?

OBJECTIVES: To identify parental perceptions regarding vaccine safety and assess their relationship with the immunization status of children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Case-control study based on a survey of a sample of households participating in the 2000-2001 National Immunization Survey, a quarterly random-digit-dialing sample of US children aged 19 to 35 months. Three groups of case children not up-to-date for 3 vaccines were compared with control children who were up-to-date for each respective vaccine. Main Outcome Measure Measles-containing or measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis or diphtheria and tetanus toxoids with acellular pertussis, and hepatitis B vaccination coverage. RESULTS: Among those sampled from the 2000-2001 National Immunization Survey, the household response rate was 2315 (52.1%) of 4440. Most respondents (>90%) in all groups believed vaccinations are important. In each case-control group, there was no significant difference between the percentage of case and control parents expressing general vaccine safety (range, 53.5%-64.1%). However, case parents were more likely to have asked that their child not be vaccinated for reasons other than illness (range, 10.2%-13.7% vs range, 2.9%-5.3%, respectively) and to believe their children received too many vaccinations (range, 3.4%-7.6% vs range, 0.8%-1.0%, respectively). Among the case-control group receiving a measles-containing or measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, only a small percentage of parents knew about the alleged association between autism and measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations (8.2%), and case parents were more likely to believe it than control parents (4.4% vs 1.5%, respectively; chi(2) P =.04). CONCLUSIONS: Despite belief in the importance of immunization by a vast majority of parents, the majority of parents had concerns regarding vaccine safety. Strategies to address important misperceptions about vaccine safety as well as additional research assessing vaccine safety are needed to ensure public confidence.

Adult↗

Immunization coverage levels among 19- to 35-month-old children in 4 diverse, medically underserved areas of the United States.

BACKGROUND: The National Immunization Survey demonstrates that national immunization coverage in 2002 remained near the all-time highs achieved in 2000. However, that survey cannot detect whether coverage is uniformly high within relatively small areas or populations. The measles resurgence in the early 1990s revealed that coverage was low in some areas, particularly among inner-city children from racial and ethnic minority groups. Today, identifying areas with low childhood-vaccination coverage remains important, particularly if these areas are at risk for the introduction of disease. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a congressionally mandated demonstrated project now called the Childhood Immunization Demonstration project of Community Health Networks. This mandate specified an assessment to determine whether a network of primary care providers affiliated with university teaching hospitals could assume a public health responsibility for raising immunization levels among preschoolers in medically underserved communities. Communities with federally designated health professional shortage areas were invited to submit proposals, and 4 were selected: Detroit, MI, New York, NY, San Diego, CA, and rural Colorado. OBJECTIVES: To measure immunization coverage among preschool children in the 4 selected medically underserved areas and determine predictors of coverage levels. DESIGN AND SETTING: Surveys in the 4 areas were based on stratified cluster probability sample designs in which clusters of dwelling units were selected and all households in selected clusters were screened for the presence of children aged 12 to 35 months. Immunization histories were obtained from parents and providers for these children. For each age-eligible child, the information collected on utilization of immunization health services included a listing of all clinics or offices ever used for the child's well-child care and/or for obtaining immunizations. Information was also collected on whether the child currently had health insurance (public and/or private) and whether the child had a medical home. A child was classified as having a medical home if the survey respondent reported a source of well care that was the same as the source of sick care and that this place was not an emergency department. PARTICIPANTS: Children 12 to 35 months of age in Detroit, New York, San Diego, and rural Colorado. OUTCOME MEASURE: Community-wide up-to-date (UTD) immunization coverage levels at 19 to 35 months of age, defined as receipt of 4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, 3 doses of poliovirus vaccine, 1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, 3 doses of Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, and 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine (the 4:3:1:3:3 series). ANALYSIS: We examined the association between coverage level and independent variables and performed chi2 and t tests to determine whether differences observed within and between groups and sites were significant. RESULTS: The overall response rate for eligible children ranged from 79.4% to 88.1%. Coverage levels for most individual vaccines were >90% in all sites except Detroit. Coverage for the 4:3:1:3:3 series was significantly higher for children in New York (84%) and San Diego (86%) than for children in Detroit (66%) and rural Colorado (75%). Demographic risk factors related to UTD immunization status varied by site. Although differences in coverage levels by ethnicity varied by site, differences were not significant. In Colorado and New York, coverage was slightly lower among Hispanic than white children (71% vs 76% and 83% vs 91%, respectively). In San Diego, coverage was lower among whites, compared with Hispanics (76% vs 85%). Coverage was also lower for African American than white children only in New York (75% vs 91%). However, in San Diego and Colorado, children receiving their vaccinations from private providers had lower coverage levels than children receiving their vaccinations from other providers (78% vs 91% and 71% vs 57%, respectively). Ictively). In all 4 sites, children for whom respondents reported having an immunization card at the time of the interview were more likely to have higher series coverage levels than children for whom a parent-held card was not available. Also, children who were UTD at 3 months of age had significantly higher vaccination-series coverage levels than children who were not UTD at 3 months of age. In addition, the vaccination coverage was lower for children in Detroit whose parents reported problems accessing the health care system because lack of transportation (46%), compared with those who did not report such problems (65%); however, this difference did not reach significance (chi2 = 6.0). In Colorado, the small proportion of children in families without a phone had a lower vaccination coverage level (58%) than those in households with a phone (75%) (chi2 = 6.3). In all sites, children who were UTD at 3 months of age and had a parent-held vaccination card were more likely to be UTD at 19 to 35 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: Preschoolers in these medically underserved areas were not at uniform risk for underimmunization. Because they were designated as health professional shortage areas, the 4 sites in this study were expected to have low immunization-coverage rates. However, this was not the case. In fact, coverage in 3 of the 4 areas was quite high compared with US national figures (73%); only Detroit had a much lower UTD rate (66%). Efforts are needed to improve methods to identify areas with low immunization coverage so that resources can be directed to places where interventions are needed. Our results reveal that an area's need for childhood immunization interventions is not well predicted by a low number of providers per capita. Other criteria must be developed to predict areas or populations with low immunization coverage. Understanding more about the characteristics of children/provider pairs for children who are UTD at 3 months and more about the role of parental hand-held cards, along with finding strategies to improve immunization delivery by providers in Vaccines for Children Program facilities, suggest potentially productive avenues for increasing and sustaining high coverage levels.

Child, Preschool↗

Fragmentation of immunization history among providers and parents of children in selected underserved areas.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed fragmentation of children's immunization history among providers and parents of children aged 12 to 35 months in four selected underserved areas. STUDY DESIGN: Area probability cluster sample surveys were conducted in 1997-1998 in northern Manhattan, San Diego, Detroit, and rural Colorado. Surveys consisted of face-to-face interviews with parents followed by record checks with all named immunization providers. We used Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations to determine up-to-date (UTD) status with vaccinations. The UTD status for each child was determined in four ways: (1) according to the parent-held immunization records, (2) according to the records of the child's most recent provider, (3) according to the records of the child's second most recent provider, and (4) according to provider and parent-reconciled information. RESULTS: In all four areas, the majority of records of the most recent provider agreed with the reconciled information. However, in all areas, the percentage of children UTD according to provider- and parent-reconciled information was higher than the percentage of children UTD according to information from only the child's most recent provider or from only parent-held immunization records. Across all sites, the percentage of children UTD with the DTP/DTaP vaccine was 2% to 9% lower, according to the most recent provider's information than according to reconciled information. Similar results were seen for other vaccines. The most recent provider not having complete immunization history was significantly associated with not being UTD in New York and having received unnecessary immunizations in San Diego and Detroit. CONCLUSION: For most children, although the records of the most recent provider give accurate data for clinical decision making, the immunization histories of some children in these underserved areas are fragmented between providers and parents. This can limit the provider's ability to vaccinate children appropriately.

Child, Preschool↗

African-American children are at risk of a measles outbreak in an inner-city community of Chicago, 2000.

BACKGROUND: Since the measles resurgence of 1989-1991, which affected predominantly inner-city preschoolers, national vaccination rates have risen to record-high levels, but rates among inner-city, preschool-aged, African-American children lag behind national rates. The threat of measles importations from abroad exists and may be particularly important in large U.S. cities. To stop epidemic transmission, measles vaccination coverage should be at least 80%. OBJECTIVE: To determine measles vaccination rates and predictors for having received a dose of measles-containing vaccine by age 19 to 35 months among children in an inner-city community of Chicago. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional survey with probability proportional to size cluster sampling. Immunization histories from parent-held records and providers were combined to establish a complete vaccination history. RESULTS: A total of 2545 households were contacted, and 170 included a resident child aged 12 to 35 months. Of these, 97% (N=165 children) agreed to participate. Immunization history from a parent or provider was not available for 20 children. Among children aged 19 to 35 months with available immunization histories, 74% received measles vaccine (n=100); of these, 84% received the vaccine as recommended at ages 12 to 15 months. However, when including children without immunization histories, measles coverage levels among children aged 19 to 35 months were 64% (n=114). Among children with records, predictors for receipt of measles vaccine by age 19 to 35 months were possessing a hand-held immunization card (odds ratio [OR]=16.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.2-67.1); utilizing a public health department provider for a usual source of care (OR=8.9; 95% CI=1.6-47.2); and being up-to-date for vaccines at 3 months of age (OR=5.0; 95% CI=1.8-14.1). CONCLUSIONS: Optimistically assuming that children without immunization histories are as well immunized as children with immunization histories, the measles vaccination rate among Englewood's children aged 19 to 35 months is too low to maintain immunity (74%). Measles coverage levels lagged behind coverage reported in a national survey in Chicago (86%) and the nation as a whole (92%). Efforts to raise and sustain coverage should be undertaken.

Black or African American↗