Infectious diseases remain a major cause of illness, disability, and death.¹ They impose a tremendous burden on society, both physically and financially.¹ Proper use of antibiotics, improvements in diagnostic tests, local health department activities, and vaccines are important defenses against infectious diseases.

Several objectives of the Immunization and Infectious Diseases focus area made progress since the launch of Healthy People 2010. This progress contributed toward achieving the two Healthy People 2010 overarching goals of increasing quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities. A number of objectives reached their targets, including those related to diphtheria, polio, hepatitis, bacterial meningitis, pneumococcal infections, meningococcal disease, group B streptococcal disease, hospital-acquired infections, immunization rates of children, and vaccine safety. Meanwhile, the disparity gap within a number of the immunization and infectious diseases objectives lessened.