The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56092

Elizabeth Luman, MS¹, Lawrence E. Barker, PhD², Mary MM McCauley, MS², and Carolyn Drews-Botsch, PhD¹. (1) Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-639-8165, ecl7@cdc.gov, (2) National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-62, Atlanta, GA 30333

Background – Timely vaccinations in early childhood are important for optimal protection against vaccine preventable diseases. Objective – To examine the timeliness of vaccine administration among infants and young children for each state and selected urban area in the United States. Methods – We analyzed age at receipt of vaccinations among children aged 24 to 35 months in the 2001 National Immunization Survey in each state and 28 selected urban areas. We present the percent of children to receive all vaccinations as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as well as those who received at least one dose late or invalidly early, and the percent who were missing one or more doses by age 24 months. To facilitate interpretation, we present results via maps and individualized graphs that allow appropriate comparison of each state to all others. Results – Receipt of all vaccinations as recommended varied widely by state, from 2% in Mississippi to 21% in Rhode Island. Regional differences in timely vaccinations are shown using maps. Graphs comparing results in each state to others show little significant difference among states. Conclusions – Coverage measures usually focus on the number of vaccinations accumulated by specified ages. The results presented here focus on the timeliness of administration. State health departments can use information on the timeliness of vaccinations as a measure of their children’s level of susceptibility to vaccine preventable diseases, and to evaluate the quality of vaccination programs.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• 1.Recognize the importance of timeliness of vaccinations.
• 2.Evaluate timeliness of vaccinations in their state, appropriately comparing with other states.
• 3.Use this information to evaluate the performance of their vaccination programs

Keywords: Immunizations,

Related Web page: www.cdc.gov/nis/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.