Poll: U.S. adults favor vaccinating all children

More than three-fourths of U.S. adults believe all children should be vaccinated, according to a new poll that is out when incidents for many diseases once considered dangers of the past are on the rise.

The new Harris Poll shows that 77% of U.S. adults favor childhood vaccinations being mandatory, while 69% don't think unvaccinated children should be allowed to attend either public or private schools. What's more, 89% feel it's important that children be vaccinated and 90% believe vaccinations should be provided for free to children whose families cannot afford them, said the poll based on surveys of 2,306 adults onlinebetween July 16 and 21, 2014.

For the most part, Americans appear to support such vaccinations, indicating they're an important safeguard against diseases that might be brought into our country from abroad (91%), that they are very effective at preventing diseases (89%) and that non-vaccinated children can represent a public health risk (83%).

Americans also, by and large, recognize there is at least a moderate danger that an unvaccinated child will contract a disease that vaccinations are designed to prevent (74%). They also recognize that a child contracting such a disease would present at least a moderate danger to other children in their proximity (64%) and such diseases represent at least a moderate danger to a child if they are, in fact, contracted (60%).

That said, with only one in four U.S. adults (25%) seeing a great deal of danger in a child contracting a disease vaccinations are designed to prevent, it could be that our years of safety from these afflictions have allowed us to forget the threat such diseases represented before vaccinations for them were developed. What's more, sizable minorities hold reservations about the safety of childhood vaccines.

While over three-fourths of U.S. adults (77%) believe childhood vaccines are either safe (34%) or very safe (43%), roughly two in ten (19%) believe they're either only a little bit safe (14%) or not at all safe (5%). Perceived safety also decreases among younger generations, with each generation progressively less likely to see vaccines as safe or very safe than their elders (68% Millennials, 76% Gen Xers, 83% Baby Boomers, 92% Matures).

Looking specifically at one widely publicized – and widelydiscredited– fear about vaccines, one-third of Americans (34%) believe that some childhood vaccines have been linked to autism.

Just under half (46%) of Americans are aware that the CDC recently announced that measles outbreaks had reached their highest point since 2000, with considerable knowledge gaps observed: two-thirds of matures (68%) are aware of this, compared with 48% of Baby Boomers, 41% of Gen Xers, and 38% of Millennials.

Among those aware of the rise in Measles cases, seven in ten believe it either very (36%) or somewhat (35%) likely that declining vaccinations in the U.S. have contributed to the increase in measles cases, while three in ten believe it's either only a little likely (22%) or not at all likely (7%) that this is the case. Baby Boomers (78%) and Matures (84%) are significantly more inclined than Millennials (64%) or Gen Xers (62%) to see this connection as very or somewhat likely.

Though seven in ten Americans (71%) disagree with the sentiment that, since most children get vaccinated, it's alright if some parents choose not to vaccinate their children, the three in ten who do agree with this statement (29%) believe it is alarming nonetheless as it overlooks the need to insulate those portions of the population ineligible for vaccines (such as infants and the immune-deprived). What's more, with Millennials (38%) and Gen Xers (37%) are roughly twice as likely as Baby Boomers (19%) and Matures (14%) to agree with this sentiment, the perception that it is acceptable for some parents to choose not to vaccinate their children is likely to spread and increase.

Consumer confidence improves again in August

Consumer confidence in the United States improved for the fourth consecutive month in August, according to the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index.

The Index now stands at 92.4 (1985=100), up from 90.3 in July. The Present Situation Index increased to 94.6 from 87.9, while the Expectations Index edged down to 90.9 from 91.9 in July.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results wasAug. 14.

Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, attributed the improvement to better business conditions and robust job growth. “Looking ahead, consumers were marginally less optimistic about the short-term outlook compared to July, primarily due to concerns about their earnings. Overall, however, they remain quite positive about the short-term outlooks for the economy and labor market."

Consumers' appraisal of current conditions continued to improve through August. Those saying business conditions are "good" edged up to 23.9 percent from 23.3 percent, while those claiming business conditions are "bad" declined to 21.5 percent from 22.8 percent. Consumers' assessment of the job market was also more positive. Those stating jobs are "plentiful" increased to 18.2 percent from 15.6 percent, while those claiming jobs are "hard to get" declined marginally to 30.6 percent from 30.9 percent.

Consumers were slightly less optimistic in August about the short-term outlook. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months held steady at 20.4 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen fell to 10.2 percent from 12.1 percent.

Consumers, however, were somewhat mixed about the outlook for the labor market. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead fell to 17.0 percent from 18.7 percent, although those anticipating fewer jobs also declined to 15.8 percent from 16.6 percent. Fewer consumers expect their incomes to grow, 15.5 percent in August versus 17.7 percent in July, while those expecting a drop in their incomes rose marginally to 11.9 percent from 11.1 percent.

Ice buckets cause donations to soar

Ice bucket challenge donations to the ALS Association reached $88.5 million as of Tuesday, Aug. 26, the ALS Association reported. That compared with $2.6 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to Aug. 26), it said.

These donations have come from existing donors and 1.9 million new donors to the association, which said it is incredibly grateful for this tremendous outpouring of support.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig'sDisease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. There is no cure and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that modestly extends survival.

"We are simply awe-struck at the incredible generosity that has poured forth to help fight this disease," said Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of the ALS Association. "Words cannot express how grateful we are to the nearly two million people who have donated and even more than that who have likely taken the challenge. You have all made an incredible effort in the fight against this disease."  

Just one week ago, donations totaled $22.6 million. In just seven days, donations have skyrocketed by an average of $9 million a day.

"Every day, given this dramatic increase in funding, the scope of what's possible when it comes to fighting this disease has changed and continues to change," Newhouse said. "Under the leadership of our board of trustees, we are putting a decision-making process in place to address how this money will be spent. This is isn't a matter of spending these dollars quickly; it's a matter of investing these dollars prudently to achieve maximum impact in our quest to help people living with the disease and those yet to be diagnosed."

The ALS Association's mission includes providing care services to assist people with ALS and their families through a network of chapters working in communities across the nation and a global research program focused on the discovery of treatments and eventually a cure for the disease. In addition, The Association's advocacy efforts empower people to advance public policies in our nation's capital that respond to the needs of people with ALS.

"We appreciate the numerous emails and phone calls from people who have very clear ideas as to how this money should be spent. While we don't yet have a percentage breakdown of how the money will be allocated, I want to assure donors and public that ALS research and care services to people living with ALS are top priorities for the Association," Newhouse said.  

For inquiries regarding the use of these funds or other information about the Ice Bucket Challenge, please email inquiries@alsa-national.org.

Seniors: Beware intense heat

With temperatures climbing above 90 degrees today across the state and heat indexes into triple digits, AARP is reminding Illinoisans to check in on elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors who may be at particular risk of heat-related health problems such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), extreme heat causes an average of 658 deaths every year in the United States.  Across the nation, heat-related deaths occur more frequently among males and those ages 65 and older.  A 2012 CDC study of heat-related deaths over a 2-week period found that 69% of heat-related deaths occurred at home, and 91% of those homes lacked air conditioning. 

AARP has several quick tips for preventing a heat-related emergency:  

• Do not engage in strenuous activity.
• Stay indoors during the hottest times of the day.
• Close your shades to keep out the sunshine.
• If you do not have air conditioning, stay on the lower-level in your home --heat rises.
• Check with your local agency for cool places you can go, such as libraries, public buildings, or air-conditioned malls.
• Wear light-weight, loose fitting clothing and protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat and sunglasses or using an umbrella.
• Drink plenty of water even if you are not thirsty. This helps keep your body cool.

You can also work with your friends and neighbors to check on elderly neighbors – go to AARP's Create The Good program (http://createthegood.org) to find specific resources and toolkits for your local area.