Fewer than half of U.S. children under 6 years of age participated in an immunization information system in 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
One of the Healthy People 2010 goals is to increase to at least 95% the proportion of children under 6 years of age who participate in a fully operational, population-based immunization registry. Immunization registries collect data from multiple providers, generate recall and reminder notices, and assess vaccination coverage. An “immunization information system (IIS)” is defined as a registry with added capabilities, such as vaccine management, adverse event reporting, lifespan vaccination histories, and interoperability with electronic medical records.
A 2003 survey of vaccine program managers in 50 states, five cities, and the District of Columbia revealed that approximately 44% of U.S. children under 6 years of age participated in an IIS, the CDC said (MMWR 2005;54:722–4).
Nine of the regions—Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Michigan, New York City, North Dakota, Oregon, and San Antonio—had achieved the 2010 goal of at least 95% participation of children less than 6 years of age. An additional eight were approaching the national objective, with participation of 81%–94%.
Nationwide, 76% of public vaccination provider sites and 36% of private provider sites submitted immunization data to an IIS during the last 6 months of 2003. Twenty-five of the 56 regions reported that 95% or more of public provider sites submitted data to an IIS, while only five reported that 95% or more of private sites had done so.
A substantial number of the respondents reported linkages between an IIS and other information systems or entities, a process which enables data consolidation. Among them were 22 reporting electronic data sharing with a Medicaid Management Information System, 36 reporting data linkages with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and 26 reporting IIS data access by health plans.
Such linkages are expected to result in more comprehensive immunization histories, increased coverage levels, better support for outbreak containment, and decreased costs associated with overimmunization, as well as improved program effectiveness and efficiency, the CDC said.
Current efforts are being aimed at developing nationwide data standards, which will be essential for system interoperability, according to the report.