Better funding for vaccines could save more children worldwide, but U.S. parents still fret about safety

Apparently, the logic behind the parental admonition to “eat your dinner because children in Africa are starving” doesn’t apply to vaccines as well.

A recent survey found that many parents in the U.S. can’t shake their concern about the safety of childhood vaccines – even though most do proceed with the immunizations. Meanwhile, health professionals are pleading for money to expand vaccination programs for children in other parts of the world.

To that end, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization is calling together donors on Monday in London. The organization is trying to raise $3.7 billion to boost vaccination programs over the next four years. Simply providing vaccines against pneumonia and diarrhea, it says, could save 4 million lives.

For their part, researchers say they could do a lot to prevent other diseases -- if they just had the money. A series of papers in The Lancet begins with a call to action, in particular, for funds to develop about 20 new or improved vaccines, especially those for tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria, in the next decade.

A study published this month in Health Affairs estimated that the lives of 6.4 million children would be saved between now and 2020 by expanding vaccination programs in 72 low- to middle-income countries.

But one obstacle remains in procuring more funds—hesitance over vaccine safety. The Lancet call to action notes:

“If trust and confidence in vaccines is not secure, our efforts to advocate increased resources to make possible the necessary research, development, and supporting clinical investigation will be a bridge too far. …We need to listen more.”

That strategy might work for American parents too.

healthkey@tribune.com

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