New Study Published on Vaccine Completion and Timeliness Among Military Children

The journal Pediatrics published a new longitudinal study titled "Vaccine Completion and Timeliness among Children in the Military Health System: 2010-2019," co-authored by a USU faculty member.

September 26, 2024 by Claire Pak

On September 19, 2024, the journal Pediatrics published a new longitudinal study titled "Vaccine Completion and Timeliness among Children in the Military Health System: 2010-2019." Conducted by researchers from the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, Calif., including co-author Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Nanda Ramchandar, a national faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the Uniformed Services University (USU), stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

This study examines vaccine series completion and timeliness among military dependents through age 24 months, identifying children at higher risk for non-completion and vaccine delays.

The study analyzed the medical records of 275,967 children born at military treatment facilities between 2010 and 2019. The findings reveal that 74.4% of children completed the combined seven-vaccine series recommended by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), while 36.2% experienced delays in completing the series. Completion rates peaked at 78.7% for children born between 2016 and 2017. Despite overall improvements in vaccine completion and timeliness over the study period, the research highlights system barriers for younger and mobile service members, as well as challenges in completing longer vaccine series.

Additionally, an editorial titled "Providing Context for a Unique Population: The Lived Experience of Military-Connected Children," authored by USU faculty members Air Force Col. (Dr.) Courtney Judd, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Meaghan Wido, accompanies the study. The authors discuss the unique health challenges faced by military-connected children, who often experience disruptions in their preventive care due to frequent relocations and parental deployments. Despite access to excellent healthcare through the TRICARE program, military families face logistical challenges that can impact timely vaccinations and other preventive health services.

The authors emphasize the importance of addressing health inequities, particularly those tied to socioeconomic factors, which may also affect the health and well-being of military children. They suggest potential solutions such as shorter-course vaccine protocols and targeted efforts to mitigate health disparities. As military families increasingly rely on civilian medical care, Judd and Wido urge civilian pediatricians to develop a strong understanding of the unique healthcare challenges military children face.

"Historically, military children follow family members in service to the nation. Therefore military pediatricians care not just for the children of Service members and veterans, but for future Service members," said Dr. Patrick Hickey, chair of USU's Department of Pediatrics. "By identifying health care disparities within the military with a view toward eliminating them, studies like this one improve health equity within the military and in society at large, and ensure the health and fitness of our fighting forces now and into the future."