An immunization program for US-bound refugees: Development, challenges, and opportunities 2012–present

作者：Tarissa Mitchell, Warren Dalal, Alexander Klosovsky, Catherine Yen, Christina R. Phares, Margaret A. Burkhardt, Farah Amin, Ivan Froes, a Hamadeh, Sai Aung Lynn, Judith Quintanilla, Annelise Casano Doney, Martín S. Cetron, Michelle Weinberg · 发表于：Vaccine · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.10.047 · 被引用次数：32 · 研究领域：Migration, Health and Trauma、Travel-related health issues、Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

BACKGROUND: US-bound refugees undergo required health assessments overseas to identify and treat communicable diseases of public health significance-such as pulmonary tuberculosis-before migration. Immunizations are not required, leaving refugees at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. In response, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of State developed and co-funded a global immunization program for US-bound refugees, implemented in 2012 in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration. METHODS: We describe the Vaccination Program for US-bound Refugees, including vaccination schedule development, program implementation and procedures, and responses to challenges. We estimate 2019 immunization coverage rates using the number of age-eligible refugees who received ≥1 dose of measles-containing vaccine during overseas health assessment, and calculated hepatitis B infection prevalence using hepatitis B surface antigen testing results. We report descriptive data on adverse events following immunization. RESULTS: By September 2019, the program was active in >80 countries on five continents. Nearly 320,000 examined refugees had ≥1 documented vaccine doses since program inception. During federal fiscal year 2019, 95% of arriving refugees had ≥1 documented measles-containing vaccine. The program's immunization schedule included eleven vaccines preventing fourteen diseases. In 2015-2019, only two vaccine preventable disease-associa...