{"id":3654675,"date":"2025-08-18T13:06:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T17:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vip2-msd.com\/merckcom-migrated\/?post_type=story&p=3654675"},"modified":"2025-09-02T11:12:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:12:55","slug":"is-your-child-up-to-date-on-their-vaccines-make-a-plan-today","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/vip2-msd.com\/merckcom-migrated\/stories\/is-your-child-up-to-date-on-their-vaccines-make-a-plan-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your child up to date on their vaccines? Make a plan today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n \n Health awareness<\/small>\n <\/a>\n \n \n

\n Is your child up to date on their vaccines? Make a plan today\n <\/h1>\n

Keeping kids\u2019 vaccinations current can help protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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August 18, 2025<\/p>\n

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One of the many ways parents can help protect their kids from certain infectious diseases is by keeping them up to date on their recommended vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cVaccines are powerful tools that can help protect against certain diseases<\/a>. Making sure your kids are up to date on their vaccines is one way you can help protect them,\u201d said Andrew “Drew” Otoo, PharmD, president of global vaccines from 2022-2025 and current regional president, Merck. \u201cSpeak with your child’s health care provider and ask about vaccines that may be recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to scheduling vaccinations, child well-visits are essential for discussing concerns about children’s health and tracking growth and developmental milestones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Andrew \u201cDrew\u201d Otoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor all of us, let\u2019s get creative. We\u2019ve seen what our communities can do when it comes to new and effective ways to reach populations for vaccination.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even small actions can have an impact. Parents and community members can make a point to talk about routine and recommended vaccinations. Health care providers can use electronic health records and immunization registries to remind parents to schedule well-child visits for children who may be overdue for a check-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s critical to improve and maintain high vaccination rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2023: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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~21M<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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~21 million children around the world were either unvaccinated or undervaccinated in 2023. 14.5 million children did not receive any vaccines, almost 2 million more than in 2019, according to UNICEF.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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40%<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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40% of adults in the U.S. feel it is \u201cextremely important\u201d for parents to have their children vaccinated, down from 58% in 2019 and 64% in 2001. (Gallup, July 1-21, 2024).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Persisting challenges around vaccination equity and confidence can lead to drops in vaccination coverage rates, putting children and individuals of all ages at risk of potentially serious, yet vaccine-preventable, diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur purpose is clear: How can we continue to increase vaccination rates for all recommended vaccines for all populations, including underserved communities, to help protect public health? There is an urgency to this work,\u201d said Otoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health literacy<\/a> is also key in these efforts. When you understand health information, you can make make informed health decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’re surrounded by so much information coming at us from so many directions, and it can be hard to make sense of where to go for guidance or answers,\u201d said Otoo. \u201cIt\u2019s so important to make sure that we’re providing information that parents can understand to help them make informed decisions about vaccination for their families, as well as overall health care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than 100 years, Merck has been a pioneer in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases. But the burden is still too high, and new threats to global health will emerge. That\u2019s why we are continuing to invest in groundbreaking research and breakthrough technologies to help protect against a variety of potentially serious infectious diseases. We’re also collaborating globally, nationally and locally to build trust, enable access and improve vaccination rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We remain focused on helping to protect people around the world and across all stages of life.<\/p>\n\n\n