Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Public Health Reports logoLink to Public Health Reports
. 1990 May-Jun;105(3):317–320.

The delayed immunization of children of migrant farm workers in South Carolina.

C V Lee 1, S W McDermott 1, C Elliott 1
PMCID: PMC1579997  PMID: 2113693

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the immunization status of migrant farm worker children in South Carolina. Results of this study indicate that the children receive their immunizations at times which are significantly later than the recommended schedule. The first, second, third, and fourth oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) doses are being given approximately 10, 15, 23, and 32 months late, respectively. Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus vaccine (DPT) is likewise late with the first, second, third, and fourth doses occurring 9, 14, 20, and 26 months late. The fifth booster dose in both series was timed properly. The mumps, measles, rubella vaccine (MMR) is approximately 28 months late, on average. An evaluation of antibody status of 41 migrant farm worker children (5-10 years old) revealed that, even with aberrant patterns of administration, all children had adequate antibody titers. These data indicate that, although adequate levels of protection are reached with the pattern of immunization that migrant farm worker children have, there are large groups of children that are unprotected early in life when they are most susceptible to these diseases.

Full text

PDF
317

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Albrecht P., Ennis F. A., Saltzman E. J., Krugman S. Persistence of maternal antibody in infants beyond 12 months: mechanism of measles vaccine failure. J Pediatr. 1977 Nov;91(5):715–718. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(77)81021-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cherry F. F., Snowden J., Vinzon I., Bolding D. Immunization and health care patterns of Louisiana two year-olds. J La State Med Soc. 1985 Nov;137(11):48-50, 55-6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gergen P. J., Ezzati T., Russell H. DTP immunization status and tetanus antitoxin titers of Mexican American children ages six months through eleven years. Am J Public Health. 1988 Nov;78(11):1446–1450. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.11.1446. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gustafson T. L., Lievens A. W., Brunell P. A., Moellenberg R. G., Buttery C. M., Sehulster L. M. Measles outbreak in a fully immunized secondary-school population. N Engl J Med. 1987 Mar 26;316(13):771–774. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198703263161303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Krugman R. D., Rosenberg R., McIntosh K., Herrmann K., Witte J. J., Ennis F. A., Meyer B. C. Further attenuated live measles vaccines: the need for revised recommendations. J Pediatr. 1977 Nov;91(5):766–767. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(77)81036-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Marks J. S., Halpin T. J., Irvin J. J., Johnson D. A., Keller J. R. Risk factors associated with failure to receive vaccinations. Pediatrics. 1979 Sep;64(3):304–309. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Michael R. J., Salend S. J. Health problems of migrant children. J Sch Health. 1985 Dec;55(10):411–412. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1985.tb01166.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Shasby D. M., Shope T. C., Downs H., Herrmann K. L., Polkowski J. Epidemic measles in a highly vaccinated population. N Engl J Med. 1977 Mar 17;296(11):585–589. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197703172961102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Yeager A. S., Davis J. H., Ross L. A., Harvey B. Measles immunization. Successes and failures. JAMA. 1977 Jan 24;237(4):347–351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Public Health Reports are provided here courtesy of SAGE Publications

RESOURCES