Overall, 15.4% of children aged 0 to 35 months received an invalid vaccine dose, receiving a vaccine earlier or later than recommended, according to a study. published online Jan. 10 in Pediatrics,
Alexandria N. Albers, MPH, from the University of Montana in Missoula, and colleagues analyzed provider-verified vaccination records from the 2011 to 2020 National Immunization Survey-Child to quantify the prevalence of doses invalid among US children aged 0 to 35 months. Invalid doses are those provided outside the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for minimum and maximum ages of vaccination and minimum intervals between doses.
The researchers found that 22,209 of 161,187 children (weighted percent, 15.4%) had an invalid vaccine dose. Overall, 44.9% of children with a minimum age or minimum interval invalid dose received extra doses and completed the series. The highest prevalence of invalid doses was seen for the three-dose rotavirus (4.4%), with 3.1% having the first dose administered after the maximum age. From 2011 to 2020, there was a decrease seen in the percentage of children with an invalid dose (16.9 to 12.5%). The odds of an invalid dose were higher for children who moved across state lines versus those who did not (adjusted odds ratio, 1.5).
“To reduce invalid vaccine administration overall, equity-based national and state investments in immunization information systems and clinical support tools that help providers make accurate recommendations are needed in all settings where children receive vaccinations,” the authors write.
More information:
Alexandria N. Albers et al, Invalid Vaccine Doses Among Children Aged 0 to 35 Months: 2011 to 2020, Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-068341
David G Bundy, Vaccination Timing: Threading the Needle Between “Too Early” and “Too Late”, Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-068972
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Citation: Study: 15.4% of 0- to 35-month-olds receive invalid vaccine dose (2025, January 10) retrieved 10 January 2025 from
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