Vaccine News & Notes — August 2017

Almost 4,000 U.S. cases of mumps so far in 2017

Almost 6,000 cases of mumps were documented in the United States last year, the most in a decade. Halfway through 2017, about 4,000 people have been diagnosed with mumps in the U.S. The VEC recently published a video  in which Dr. Offit discusses the recent mumps outbreaks and what they tell us about the mumps vaccine.

Why do you vaccinate?

Voices for Vaccines, a national parent-led vaccine advocacy group, wants to know. Submit a “Why I Choose to Vaccinate” photo  or write a blog post sharing why you choose to vaccinate. This effort is part of National Immunization Awareness Month, which is celebrated nationally each August. Voices for Vaccines also offers a podcast entitled Vax Talk. You can learn more about the series and subscribe or listen here.

Vaccines in the healthcare budget and legislation debates

In a recent column for The Daily Beast, Dr. Offit reviewed how healthcare legislation and budget appropriations under consideration by Congress would affect childhood immunizations in the United States. You can read his other columns on a dedicated page of The Daily Beast website or by clicking from the VEC homepage.