Vaccination Rates for Toddlers Remain High

The vast majority of the nation's children get recommended vaccinations.
A child should receive the following vaccines by the age of two:¹

• Four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTaP).
• Three doses of polio vaccine.
• One or more doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).
• Three doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib).
• Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.
• One or more doses of varicella or chickenpox vaccine.
• Four doses of Pneumococccal vaccine (PCV).
• Three doses of Rotavirus vaccine .
• Influenza should be given yearly.

According to the latest National Immunization Survey (NIS) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):¹

• More than 77% of children were fully vaccinated for all vaccines measured in the NIS survey (PCV, Rotavirus, and influenza vaccines are not yet measured in the NIS survey).
• Less than 1% of children had received no vaccines by age 19 months to 35 months.
• For the first time, there was 90% coverage for varicella vaccine and for the third dose of PCV.
• DTaP coverage was 84.5% and is the only vaccine that has not reached 90% coverage.

The results from this survey are encouraging. According to Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the CDC, "The ongoing success of our nation's immunization program is largely dependent on the trust that parents put in the safety of vaccines and in those caregivers who administer them. I want to encourage parents to continue to be informed and to ask their pediatricians about the safety of vaccines or any other concerns they may have about their child's health."¹

Costs of Vaccine Preventable Diseases:¹

• For each cohort of children vaccinated, 14.3 million cases of vaccine-preventable diseases and 33,500 premature deaths are prevented.
• Vaccination saves $43.3 billion, including $9.9 billion in direct medical costs.

What Employers Can Do:

• Cover all recommended childhood vaccines at first dollar.
• Advertize the immunization benefit to all employees and dependants, especially those who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
• Make vaccination charts and schedulers accessible to employees and dependants to increase education about vaccines and immunization schedules.
• Require your health plan(s) send vaccine reminders to all beneficiaries.

For more information visit these CDC sites:

• Instant Childhood Immunization Scheduler (for children six years and younger)
• Catch-up Immunization scheduler (for children six years of age and younger)
• Educational publications and promotional materials

Reference:
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Press release: Most U.S. parents are vaccinating according to new CDC survey vaccine coverage rates for children remain high; 2008 Sep 4. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080904.htm