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The number of reported cases of vaccine-preventable
diseases has generally decreased over the past several decades.
In 2004, there were no reported cases of diphtheria, rubella, or
polio in the entire U.S. population and no cases of tetanus among
children under 5 years of age.
From 2003 to 2004, the number of reported cases
of H. Influenzae and hepatitis B decreased among children under
5 years of age. Rates of hepatitis B infection have steadily declined
with the implementation of a national strategy to eliminate the
disease. This strategy includes routine screening of pregnant women
for the hepatitis B virus, and routine vaccination of infants and
children. It is important to note that since most hepatitis B infections
among infants and young children are asymptomatic, the reported
number of cases likely underestimates the incidence in these age
groups.
While the number of reported cases of several
vaccine-preventable diseases decreased from 2003 to 2004, the number
of reported cases of measles, mumps, hepatitis A, and pertussis
increased over the same period. In 2004, the incidence of reported
pertussis among the entire U.S. population increased for the third
year in a row, and the number of cases was the highest reported
since 1959. Of cases for which age was reported, 10 percent occurred
among children under 6 months of age who were too young to have
received the full schedule of acellular pertussis vaccine. The highest
reported rate of the disease (136.5 per 100,000) occurred among
this age group. With regard to hepatitis A, although the number
of cases among children under 5 years increased from 2003 to 2004,
the overall incidence of the disease has dropped dramatically since
routine vaccination for children living in high-risk areas was recommended
starting in 1996.
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Horizontal Bar Chart: Incidence of Select
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Among Children Under Age 5:
2004
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