The article I chose to evaluate is The Importance of MMR Vaccination in the United States, written by O. Perrone and C. Meissner, published in Pediatrics volume 146, issue 2, in the year 2020.
Description of the purpose: This article’s key focus is to highlight the importance of the MMR vaccination in preventing the diseases Mumps, Measles, and Rubella in the U.S. population. The article discusses the recent decline in CDC vaccination schedule compliancy in the United States, despite the long-proven safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The article further addresses current and potential complications of people not vaccinating, following the epidemiology of these diseases and why they are making a recurrence in the U.S.
Vaccine effectiveness is also explored, and the article delves into why these diseases are a threat to public health. It concludes by recommending compliance with vaccination schedules to protect those at risk and ultimately the entire U.S. population from these potentially deadly diseases.
Explanation of research design: This article is a descriptive study following the effects of declining vaccination compliancy with the MMR vaccine in the United States. It provides a comprehensive data analysis of trends within the diseases that the MMR vaccine can protect against, supported with thorough research and data collection on disease occurrence/complications in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
Discussion of sample: The sample of this article isn’t narrowly defined into a specific population, except that it focuses on the United States. The article follows broader epidemiological trends of the diseases (mumps, measles, rubella) and their impact on public health within the U.S.
Description of data collection methods: This article provides a summary of both the past and recent trends of these diseases, citing scholarly sources for their information. The authors of the article further analyze the data into more simplistic points to be presented on the broader topic. Outbreak reports are examined to narrow in on infected individuals and their vaccination status or lack of vaccination. The article also uses comparative studies to highlight the differences between those who were vaccinated and those who were not, evaluating the prevalence of infection and resulting complications to prove the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine.
Summary of findings: The article finds that those who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated with the MMR vaccine are significantly more likely to contract the diseases as well as be asymptomatic carriers to vulnerable populations.
The article also finds that unvaccinated/undervaccinated individuals have higher incidences of severe disease complications than those who are vaccinated but experience a break-through infection.
Limitations of the study: The article has a disclaimer that one of the authors (Meissner) is ex-officio to the Committee on Infectious Diseases, a member of the National Vaccine Advisory and the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, as well as chair of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Meissner’s affiliation with these organizations is labeled as a potential conflict of interest. Further, the article does limit its scope to just the U.S. population which narrows down the field of study for research collection purposes, but also potentially skews results based on geographical location and excludes other areas where the vaccine is also available.
Strengths of the study: As stated above, the authors of this article are heavily involved in this kind of research and are both MDs with a focus in the field of vaccine effectiveness, so this article can be considered an expert analysis. The article is based on secure research and data collection which are all cited to support the authors’ conclusions.
Recommendations regarding potential application for future practice that are insightful and appropriate.
The article recommends vaccine compliancy with the MMR vaccine, per CDC guidelines. It supports the evidence that the vaccine is safe and effective against infection and recommends that those eligible to receive the vaccine take it for their own safety as well as for the benefit of public health. Advanced Practice Nurses can implement these studies in their education that they provide to parents and families who may be hesitant to comply with vaccination protocols.
The Importance of MMR Vaccination in the United StatesLinks to an external site.
References:
Perrone, O., & Meissner, H. C. (2020). The importance of MMR immunization in the United States. Pediatrics, 146(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0251