Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

Andrea Green, M.D.C.M., professor of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine

(JUNE 7, 2024) In an editorial accompanying research published in Pediatrics, Andrea Green, M.D.C.M., professor of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine, and Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Washington, commented on findings that many immigrant communities are at risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases because of low and declining vaccination coverage.

Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate differences in childhood vaccine coverage by parental birth country using data from the state’s immunization information system and birth certificate records. Compared with children of U.S.-born parents, the proportion of children up to date for the MMR, DTaP, and poliovirus vaccines was 3–16 percent higher among children of Filipino-, Indian-, and Mexican-born parents.

“Parental country of birth highlights differences in vaccination rates for children in immigrant families and provides opportunities to examine factors that influence vaccine access and confidence,” Dawson-Hahn and Green wrote. “A family-centered cultural safety framework is a responsive approach for multisector systems to understand childhood vaccine rates, as they partner with, learn from, and are led by community members who have experienced migration.”