Experiences with Medical Exemptions Following the Elimination of Nonmedical Vaccine Exemptions in California

Summary of Research: This article looks at the experiences of immunization staff and health officers in addressing medical exemption requests following passage of California’s 2015 Senate Bill 277, eliminating non medical exemptions to vaccines for school entry. Authors note that California’s experiences following SB277 may inform other states who consider stricter vaccine exemption policies.

Read more

Web-based Social Media Intervention to Increase Vaccine Acceptance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary of Research: Individuals are increasingly turning to the Internet and Social Media to get answers to their health-related questions. Vaccine hesitancy seems to have spread so quickly in part due to the proliferation of anti-vaccine content online. As we see the return of vaccine-preventable diseases, interventions to address vaccine hesitancy and to increase acceptance of vaccines are needed. This study sought to determine if a Web-based, social media intervention could increase early childhood immunization rates.

Read more

Closing the Gap in Travel Medicine: Reframing Research Questions for a New Era

Summary of Research: Travel guidelines have traditionally focused on people traveling from wealthy nations to poorer nations. However patterns of travel, including more frequent travel by people from developing nations, are changing. This article looks to evaluate gaps in current travel recommendations and identify areas of opportunity to address the needs of travelers from emerging economies.

Read more