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September 6, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Parents Need More Info About Kids' Immunization"

Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (09/04/02); Huggins, Charnicia E.

Results from a recent survey sponsored by the American Nurses Association, the American College of Nurse Practitioners, and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners indicate that many parents and parents-to-be have limited knowledge of the variety of immunizations available to them.  Of the 1,000 parents and expectant parents surveyed, 99 percent of parents with children below age two said their children had been vaccinated for various childhood diseases, and most expectants parents had plans to follow suit; however, few could name the diseases for which their children were getting vaccinated.  About 70 percent of parents knew that immunization could protect their children from chicken pox/varicella, and roughly the same number of parents knew that to be true for measles, mumps, and rubella, but less than half were aware that vaccinations could also prevent polio, hepatitis, or the flu.

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