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Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD)

Florida Health

Disease Control

Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance Report July 2024

Hepatitis A

A graph showing hepatitis A activity has fluctuated each month from July 2023 – July 2024. In July, 13 cases were reported.
  • Hepatitis A activity decreased from last month and was below the previous 5-year average.
  • 11 cases were reported in July.

Pertussis

A graph showing pertussis activity has fluctuated each month from July 2023 – July 2024. In July, 54 cases were reported.
  • Pertussis activity increased from last month and was above the previous 5-year average.
  • 66 cases were reported in July.

Meningococcal Disease

A graph showing meningococcal disease activity has fluctuated each month from August 2023 – July 2024. In July, 4 cases were reported.
  • Meningococcal disease activity increased from last month and was above the previous 5-year average.
  • 4 case was reported in July.

Varicella

A graph showing varicella activity has fluctuated each month from July 2023 – August 2024. In July, 29 cases were reported.
  • Varicella activity decreased from last month and was below the previous 5-year average.
  • 29 cases were reported in July.

For all vaccine-preventable diseases, timely and complete vaccination is the best way to prevent infection. Although vaccinated individuals can still become infected with diseases like pertussis or varicella, in general, those who have received at least one dose of vaccine have less severe outcomes than those who have never been vaccinated for the disease.

A map showing the proportion of children ages 5–17 years with religious exemptions by county as of July 31, 2024. Counties with a proportion of 1.48%–4.08% are: Baker Bradford Calhoun Dixie Franklin Gadsden Hamilton Hardee Hendry Jackson Lafayette Liberty Okeechobee Putnam Taylor Union Wakulla Counties with a proportion of 4.09%–6.5% are: Alachua Bay Broward Clay Columbia DeSoto Duval Escambia Gilchrist Glades Gulf Highlands Hillsborough Holmes Indian River Jefferson Lake Leon Levy Madison Marion Miami-Dade Nassau Orange Osceola Palm Beach Polk St. Lucie Sumter Suwannee Washington Counties with a proportion of 6.51%–9.14% are: Brevard Charlotte Citrus Collier Hernando Lee Manatee Martin Monroe Okaloosa Pasco Pinellas Santa Rosa Seminole Volusia Counties with a proportion of 9.15%–14.23% are: Flagler Sarasota St. Johns Walton

Unvaccinated children are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, pertussis, and varicella. Communities with a higher proportion of religious exemptions (REs) to vaccination are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable disease transmission.

The proportion of children age 5–17 years with new REs are increasing each month. Statewide, the estimated prevalence of REs among children age 5–17 years old is 5.84% with individual counties ranging from 1.48 – 14.23%.

To learn more about REs at the local level, please visit FloridaHealth.gov/REmap.

The rate of religious exemptions is likely higher than the rate presented in this report. This is due to eligible persons with religious exemptions who have opted out of Florida SHOTS and persons who have had their religious exemptions processed outside of the Florida SHOTS system. The map above includes REs registered in Florida SHOTS through July 31, 2024.