In an age of increased vaccine skepticism, doctors from the state Medical Association are expressing concern for future health outcomes.
Dr. Keith Hansen is the president of the South Dakota Medical Association. He and his colleagues have noticed a trend in the state’s vaccination data.
"We have concerns about falling immunization rates and what effect that will have on our patients and the people of South Dakota’s health," Hansen said.
For example, as of this flu season nearly half of South Dakotans are not up to date on their flu shots. Overall general vaccination rates are trending downward.
Recent policy from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a body within the CDC, also removed the recommendation for the Hepatitis B vaccine in newborns, a shot Hansen said is trusted and a disease no parent wants their newborn to catch.
“Hepatitis B if you catch it when you’re a little baby is terrible," Hansen said. "It’s a morbidity, a mortality. It can cause problems later in life like hepatocellular carcinoma.”
Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive cancer of the liver with five-year survival rates between 5 and 18 percent. However, Hansen said he hopes to see both mothers and babies with proper vaccinations.
“As an OBGYN and a reproductive endocrinologist, we worry about during pregnancy," Hansen said. "You know, a lot of these diseases, if a pregnant woman gets them, it can cause miscarriages, stillbirths.”
For Hansen, it boils down to one simple factor for all age groups: individual and community health outcomes improve with vaccinations.
“A lot of it is related to the internet," Hansen said. "When you’re sitting there and getting all this information, it’s hard to sort through what is misinformation, what is disinformation, and what is good, reliable information. A lot of people trust their information about healthcare information from physicians and health professionals. It was around 84 percent. Of course, it would be nice if it was higher than that.”
Unvaccinated adults, barring certain complications, can be eligible for many shots that are usually given to children and are encouraged to talk to their family’s primary care practitioner.