Encouraging widespread immunization

Vaccines are one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century, revolutionizing disease prevention and dramatically improving the health and well-being of the American people. This success was driven by strong support and trust in established vaccine science, championed by public servants and healthcare leaders. Vaccine uptake depends on widespread public education, vaccine promotion, and robust support for the administration and distribution of vaccines. The public relies on national health leaders for guidance and recommendations, and the Immune Deficiency Foundation is committed to working together to uphold this legacy.

Why do vaccines matter?

People who are immunocompromised, including those with primary immunodeficiencies (PI), rely on community immunity to minimize their exposure to dangerous germs. Community immunity describes the level of immunity, gained either through widespread vaccination or natural infection, needed within a group of people to prevent an infectious disease from spreading. A decrease in vaccination rates weakens community immunity, putting those who are most vulnerable at higher risk of severe, preventable infections.

Seventy-two million Americans, or 1 in 5 individuals, are at risk when not enough people get immunized, including:

• The 14 million people 64 years of age or younger that are immunocompromised.
• All 58 million people 65 years of age or older, when the immune system naturally becomes weaker with age.

In addition, children who are too young to be fully vaccinated are at risk as well. A family member, friend, or neighbor could be the person who gets severely ill or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease during an outbreak.

What is the foundation doing about vaccine policy?

The foundation’s advocacy focuses on strongly supporting the immunocompromised community and the science that has proven to be effective in protecting them. IDF is the founding member of the Immunocompromised Collaborative, the united voice of communities whose health status makes them most vulnerable to threats from infectious disease. These communities include individuals with PI, blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, autoimmune conditions, HIV/AIDS, and organ or bone marrow transplants.

The immunocompromised community faces new challenges from federal health officials who have harmed access, consumer confidence, and decision-making related to vaccines. IDF advocates directly with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Congress to ensure that policymakers understand the life-threatening consequences for Americans who are immunocompromised if rates of infectious disease increase because fewer people choose to be vaccinated.