Immunization data are collected annually from Illinois public and nonpublic schools. This report is a compilation of the data on the immunization status of school-age children in Illinois for the school year 1998-99. The compliance level for all Illinois students is 97.25 percent. The data by specific disease category, based on the percent of…

A three-year chart audit of a family-practice residency program measured physicians' compliance with recommendations of an adult immunization program. Physician compliance improved significantly for two vaccines when the chart was reorganized to highlight them but not for a third vaccine that was not highlighted. (MSE)

This article reports on the efforts at the University of Tennessee/Knoxville to screen college women for susceptibility to rubella and to educate them to the possibilities of birth defects associated with the disease during pregnancy. (JMF)

Discusses the need for child care providers to be sure children in their care who are between the ages of 15 months and 5 years have had Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine. Urges child care center staff to avoid use of bean bag infant cushions and to inform parents about the hazards posed by the cushions. (DR)

In the United States, there is a schedule of four immunizations and several boosters against communicable diseases for children, but many children are not immunized against preventable communicable diseases. The article examines reasons for low immunization percentages, barriers to immunization, and possible solutions to the problems. (SM)

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

An influenza (flu) pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new flu virus appears that can spread easily from person to person. Although it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, effects can be lessened if preparations are made ahead of time. The illness rates for both…

Covering the period from July 1, 1991, through June 30, 1992, this report describes the goals and activities of the Governor's Commission for Children and Families, a commission formed to improve children and family services in Pennsylvania. The report begins with a brief description of the demographics and conditions of children in Pennsylvania…

With the release of "Healthy People: The Surgeon General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention" in 1979, the Public Health Service launched a decade-long initiative to reduce preventable death and disease in all age groups in the population by 1990. The 226 health objectives, issued in 1980, addressed measures to improve…

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is one of many federal agencies working to understand autism. The NICHD supports and conducts research on what causes autism, how many people have autism, how best to treat…

During the 1970's many children lacked immunization against one or more of the major childhood diseases. Recently the number of cases of childhood diseases has declined dramatically. The schools are the focal point for disease prevention. Outlined are 10 steps to continue to ensure childrens' health. (MD)

Notes how the Childhood Immunization Initiative is building a system to sustain increases in immunization rates into the future. Discusses five elements of the Immunization Initiative: improvement in delivery services, monitoring, vaccine quality, cost, and federal commitment to supporting public health efforts and building a coordinated national…

In response to the global debt crisis, international lenders have pressured Third World debtor nations to implement "structural adjustments." Analysis of data from the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund suggest that externally imposed austerity measures have adversely affected children's survival and…

The administration of meningitis vaccinations to the college population has recently been the topic of much discussion. Much of the controversy has surrounded the promotion of widespread vaccinations or educational campaigns about the vaccine for incoming freshman students. Recommendations about the use of meningococcal vaccines for college…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as…