The Hospitalist - An Official Publication of Society of Hospital Medicine

Hospitalists are increasingly witnessing the negative impacts of declining vaccination rates, which threaten to revive vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and pertussis. With vaccination rates slipping below the critical threshold needed for herd immunity, hospitalists must prepare to confront these diseases and advocate for community health. To equip hospitalists for this challenge, the Journal of Hospital Medicine has introduced a series of short reviews on vaccine-preventable diseases. These reviews—to be published as Clinical Progress Notes over the coming months—will serve as a practical resource, offering concise updates on clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, and evidence-based treatments for diseases like measles, diphtheria, pertussis, and polio.