The National Immunization Survey (NIS) is a large telephone survey designed to monitor vaccination coverage estimates for children aged 19-35 months in the U.S., in each of the 50 states, and 28 urban areas. In 1994, the CDC initiated the NIS to monitor progress toward achieving high vaccination rates among children for vaccine-preventable diseases and to direct their resources to increase the vaccination rates in the low coverage areas. The NIS includes a list-assisted random-digit-dialing (RDD) telephone survey of the parents/legal guardians of the children, followed by a mail survey of the children's immunization providers. Currently, CDC is in the process of making significant enhancements to the data collection, data processing and editing procedures, and weighting and estimation methodology. Current efforts include: (i) consistency review of the reported vaccination dates, (ii) new statistical methods to adjust for vaccination history nonresponse bias, and to improve analysis of the NIS data, (iii) topical modules to provide detailed information on reasons for under-vaccination or other public health topics among children, and (iv) a registry match study to validate, and measure the representativeness and completeness of the state registry data. In addition, appropriate measures are being developed to preserve the identity and confidentiality of the NIS respondents and their information for the NIS public-use data files. These data files will provide the state and local immunization programs with greater access to the NIS data and assist them in the management of their immunization programs. This paper presents an overview of these activities in the NIS.
Learning Objectives: Inform the public health researchers of the National Immunization Survey, the future enhancements, and the plans for the public-use data files. These files will help the program managers, and the State and Local Health Departments to evaluate their immunization programs
Keywords: Immunizations, Survey
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.