Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents 1 Year Before the Institution of a Seventh Grade School Entry Vaccination Requirement — San Diego, California, 1998

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Feb 11, 2000

The findings in this report are subject to at least two limitations. First, only 66.0% of eligible persons participated in the survey, and the participants may not be representative of all fifth and sixth graders. Second, because the vaccination status was verified for only 41.5% of participants, results are subject to ascertainment bias.

In December 1997, CDC and the National Coalition for Adult Immunization met with expert health-care professionals, representatives of managed-care organizations, and education and advocacy groups in the adolescent health field to develop national goals for adolescent vaccination. A goal of 90% vaccination coverage for all recommended vaccinations by 2002 was adopted by 12 participating organizations, [*] reflecting the urgency for increasing vaccination coverage to lower the risk for preventable morbidity and mortality among adolescents.

References

(1.) CDC. Immunization of adolescents: recommendations of the Advisory of Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association. MMWR 1996;45(no. RR-13).

(2.) Suarez L, Simpson D, Smith D. Errors and correlates in parental recall of child immunizations: effects on vaccination coverage estimates. Pediatrics 1997;99:1-5.

(3.) Shefer A, Briss P, Rodewald L, et al. Improving immunization coverage rates: an evidence-based review of the literature. Epidemiologic Rev 1999;21:96-142.

(4.) CDC. Effectiveness of a seventh grade school entry vaccination requirement--statewide and Orange County, Florida, 1997-1998. MMWR 1998;47:711-5.

(5.) Immunization Action Coalition. What's your state doing? Needle Tips & the Hepatitis B Coalition News 1999;9:7.

(6.) Smith N, Averhoff F. The effects of expanding hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for all children and adolescents. New Orleans, Louisiana: Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, May 1-5, 1998.

(*.) American Academy of Pediatrics; American Association of Health Plans; American College of Physicians; American Medical Association; Asian/Pacific Islander Hepatitis B Task Force; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; Inter-American College of Physicians; National Association of School Nurses; National Association of State Boards of Education; National Center for Youth Law; and Society for Adolescent Medicine.

               Vaccination coverage among children entering
               the fifth and sixth grade, by vaccine -- San
                    Diego County, California, 1998 [*]
                                       Vaccinated
Vaccine/Dose                                  No.    (%) (95% Cl [ ])
Measles, mumps, and rubella
 Two doses                                    142 (70.0) (63.1%-76.2%)
Hepatitis B
 One or two doses                              54 (26.6) (20.7%-33.2%)
 Three doses                                   32 (15.8) (11.0%-21.5%)
Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids booster         19 ( 9.4) ( 5.7%-14.2%)
Varicella [ss]                                  6 (16.2) ( 6.2%-32.0%)
(*.)Verified by personal vaccination record
or providers' record, n=203.
( .)Confidence interval.
(ss.)Analysis restricted to children without
a history of varicella, n=37.