National Immunization Survey

The Bureau of Immunization is pleased to announce the publication of National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19--35 Months --- United States, 2008 in MMWR Weekly August 28, 2009 / 58(33);921-926.

Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) performs the National Immunization Survey (NIS), which estimates immunization coverage among children 19 to 35 months of age for 50 states and selected local areas. Healthy People 2010 established vaccination coverage targets of 90% for individual vaccines and 80% for the series in the 4:3:1:3:3:1 vaccine series:

• Four diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough) (DTaP)
• Three inactivated polio (IPV)
• One measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Three Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib)
• Three Hepatitis B (HepB)
• One Varicella (chickenpox)

This report describes the 2008 NIS coverage estimates for this series and individual vaccines, 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), more than two doses of hepatitis A vaccine (HepA), and HepB birth dose vaccination received in the first three days of life among children born during January 2005 through June 2007. In 2008, 4:3:1:3:3:1 series coverage was 76.1%, compared with 77.4% in 2007; greater than 90% coverage was maintained for all recommended series vaccines, except for the number of children receiving the fourth dose of DTaP vaccine by 12 to 18 months of age. The Bureau is addressing this challenge in children and adults with our 4 Sure: Get the 4th DTaP campaign and a series of Tdap brochures available at our publications website.   

The 2008 NIS results indicate that the 4:3:1:3:3:1 coverage rate among children 19 through 35 months of age in Florida is 79.9% (±4.8). When compared to all other states and the District of Columbia, Florida ranks seventh in the nation for coverage among children 19 through 35 months of age.

The results from the 2008 NIS, a vaccination coverage survey of children born during January 2005 through June 2007, demonstrate that the nation's immunization program (i.e., the U.S. network of federal, state, and local public health officials in partnership with healthcare providers and parents) remained successful in maintaining high vaccination rates among young children. However, with approximately 12,000 children born every day in the U.S., each requiring protection from vaccine-preventable diseases, continued attention is needed to meet Healthy People 2010 vaccination coverage levels and improve coverage in select groups with lower vaccination coverage.

In addition to the MMWR article, please view:

• A table with 2008 NIS coverage estimates for each vaccine and series, by state and local area (the MMWR article includes state/local area coverage estimates for  3+ Hib, HepB birth dose, 4+ PCV7, 2+ HepA, 4:3:1:3:3:1 series, and 4:3:1:3:3:1:4 series).
• A table with estimated differences in coverage estimates from 2007 to 2008, by state and local area.
• An article authored by the CDC that includes some background and general information about interpreting findings from the NIS.
• An article authored by the CDC that highlights the difficulty interpreting ranking of states by point estimates of coverage.