Policy Strategies for Improving Vaccination Coverage Among Children and Adolescents

Childhood and adolescent vaccination play a prominent role in minimizing the incidence of vaccine-preventable disease (VPD). To ensure widespread immunization coverage, all states require certain vaccines for school entry. This dissertation aims to evaluate the effectiveness of state vaccination policies and national guidelines in improving vaccination coverage for required and recommended vaccines. The first essay examines the causal relationship between non-medical exemptions and immunization rates for vaccines required at Kindergarten entry (MMR, DTP/DTaP, HepB, Polio). The second essay evaluates the impact of federal guidelines and healthcare provider recommendations on HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents. The third essay takes a broader look at how policies work in combination to influence vaccination coverage. Performing a qualitative comparative analysis of state exemption laws for vaccines required at school-entry, this essay identifies combinations of attributes that are necessary and sufficient for achieving high vaccination rates. Collectively, these essays demonstrate the impact of state policies and national guidelines on vaccination coverage.

Author

• Richwine, Chelsea Janet

Language

• en

Keyword

• Health Economics
• Health Policy

Date created

• 2020

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Public Policy & Administration

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Dor, Avi

Committee Member(s)

• Moghtaderi, Ali
• Pandey, Sanjay
• Regenstein, Marsha
• Abroms, Lorien
• Markus, Anne

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/9593tv91r