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Note from the Secretary
Each year in the United States, at least 45,000 adults die
from complications of illness due to influenza, pneumococcal infections, and hepatitis
B. The overall cost to society of these and other vaccine-preventable diseases of adults exceed $10 billion
each year, not including the value of years of life lost. Despite availability of safe
and effective vaccines that could
reduce the incidence of serious illness and complications, a substantial proportion of
susceptible adults, including those workers at risk for occupational transmission of
vaccine-preventable diseases, are not being immunized.
We have demonstrated the potential for prevention of infectious diseases through our childhood immunization
efforts. Our efforts have resulted in a dramatic reduction of childhood deaths and
disease. We need to implement a similarly effective strategy to ensure a similar outcome
for adults.
Improving adult
immunization requires greater awareness of the importance of vaccine-preventable
diseases and the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines. It requires closer working
relationships among clinicians, researchers, public health professionals, health-care
insurance providers, managed-care organizations and their clients, vaccine and
biotechnology companies, and regulatory agencies. In addition, research and development
must continue to improve existing vaccines and develop new vaccines to prevent diseases
that have substantial morbidity and mortality. We must do all that we can to ensure that
the vaccines we promote and use are safe and that we have the capacity to detect
vaccine-associated adverse events.
This Adult Immunization Action Plan outlines a proposal for collaboration among the
Department of Health and Human Services, other Federal departments, state health
agencies, health professionals organizations, purchasers and providers of health-care,
vaccine companies, and the public, to address an important public health problem
together. We look forward to achieving our shared goals.
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