JAMA
December 15, 2010, Vol 304, No. 23, pp 2559-2658
http://jama.ama-assn.org/current.dtl

Medical News & Perspectives
Mothers Take Physicians’ Advice on Vaccines
Bridget M. Kuehn
AMA. 2010;304(23):2577-2578.doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1785

Extract (per JAMA convention)
Women are more likely to get a pertussis vaccination for their infants or a prenatal flu shot for themselves if a physician has advised them to do so and provides them with information, according to a pair of studies presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) meeting in October. The findings suggest a simple recommendation from a physician can have a powerful effect on vaccination rates.

PERTUSSIS PREVENTION
In 2009, there were nearly 17 000 reported cases of pertussis, including 14 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases have been rising among US teens and infants since the 1980s, according to the agency, and some scientists have suggested that parents refusing to vaccinate themselves or their children may be driving the increase. Currently, the CDC recommends that infants and young children receive a 5-dose series of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) and that adults receive …