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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts.

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Vaccine Preventable Diseases


Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD)

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Measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, varicella, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, meningococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) are all preventable by vaccine.  These common childhood and adult diseases are highly contagious and are particularly dangerous to very young children who have relatively low resistance to infection and more prone to develop serious complications such as deafness, retardation, brain and spinal cord damage and, occasionally, death.

Florida has a very strong and successful immunization program.  Without assurance of high immunization levels, visitors and Floridians would not be able to enjoy the high quality of life the state offers.  Currently, the maintenance of high immunization levels contributes positively to the state’s economy by lower disease incidence, lower healthcare costs and ensuring travelers may confidently visit Florida without contracting a vaccine-preventable disease.

The program ensures a cause and effect response by monitoring immunization levels in vulnerable populations throughout the state, thereby contributing to strategies to attain and sustain high immunization levels.  This has the effect of increasing herd immunity and lowering vaccine-preventable disease rates.

Download Vaccine Responsibilities to Your Community Flyers
Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Report

May 2018

Pertussis

  • Pertussis activity increased slightly from last month. Overall, the total number of cases remained below the previous five-year average.
  • There were 24 cases and one outbreak in a workplace reported in May.
  • Incidence remained highest among infants less than one year old; infants less than two months old are too young to receive vaccinations against pertussis, which is why vaccination of other age groups is so important to help prevent infection in this highly vulnerable group.

Varicella

  • Varicella activity increased from last month and remained above the previous five-year average for the third month in a row.
  • There were 82 total cases and no outbreaks reported in May.
  • Incidence was highest among children age six to 11 years old in May.
  • This month, 62% of cases were not up to date on their varicella vaccinations or had unknown vaccination status, about the same as last month.

Mumps

  • Mumps activity increased from last month and remained above the previous five-year average for the eighth month in a row.
  • There were six cases and no outbreaks reported in May.
  • Incidence was highest among children age six to 11 years old.
  • This month, 67% of cases were not up-to-date on their mumps vaccinations, an increase from last month.

Measles

  • Four confirmed measles cases associated with international travel were investigated in May.
  • Two cases were never vaccinated against measles and two cases had unknown vaccination status.
  • A total of 944 contacts who had potential exposure to a measles case were identified. None of these contacts developed measles.

2018 May VPD Surveillance Report

*Note: This page contains materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Acrobat Reader may be required to view these files.