It is children under 2 years of age for whom nearly all basic vaccines are recommended that have the poorest immunization records. To be fully compliant, a child must have 16 individual vaccines given in 5 or more years of life. Until combination vaccines become available, new and improved vaccines that will initially be licensed as single products will further complicate the childhood immunization schedule. For example, a safer vaccine against Pertussis and the recently recommended change from OPV to IPV will have the interim effect of increasing the number of injections and medical visits required to be fully compliant with recommended immunization schedule. New vaccines forthcoming including new Pneumococal vaccines, Lyme disease vaccine, Meningococal vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine are expected to be introduced in the near future.
Immunization remains one of the most powerful tools that medical science has for disease prevention.
To be fully effective in saving lives, especially those of children in less developed countries, the ultimate children's vaccine will have to be one that is affordable for global use.