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Immunization & Infectious Disease

Study Examples | Key Publications | Intro

Thanks to vaccines, many life-threatening diseases such as measles, polio, and diphtheria have become rare—and naturally occurring smallpox has been eradicated. These successes have led to the development of many new vaccines and to increasing vaccination rates. Currently, about 16 million doses of vaccine are given yearly to U.S. children under age 2.

More widespread use of vaccines has drawn attention to the importance of accurate assessment of vaccine safety. In 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project, which now connects information in large databases maintained by eight American health plans, including Group Health. Combining data on immunizations and diseases for millions of people lets researchers conduct scientifically rigorous studies of vaccine safety and effectiveness. Such studies were not previously possible through "passive surveillance systems," which relied on ad hoc reports from patients and providers.

Now in its second decade, Group Health Center for Health Studies (CHS) research program on vaccine safety and efficacy has chalked up considerable successes, including the following:

• Providing the initial impetus for Group Health to computerize its immunization data in the early 1990s
• Helping Group Health set up systems for immunization tracking, which helped childhood immunization rates increase from 63 percent to 95 percent for 2 year olds between 1990 and 1995
• Expanding into adult immunization in 1997, with around 75 percent of Group Health patients aged 65 and older now receiving yearly influenza and pneumococcal vaccines

A highlight of CHS' research into adult vaccines was its study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, which showed the currently available "pneumonia shot" recommended for all adults 65 years and older does not decrease the overall risk of pneumonia. "This emphasizes the need to develop and test new vaccines to prevent pneumonia in seniors," says Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator at CHS.

Study Examples | Key Publications | Intro

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