County health departments typically bear responsibility for implementing immunization programs. In 2011, the Florida state legislature made significant reductions in state health department funding, and responsibility for routine childhood immunizations in some counties was shifted to local federally qualified health centers. This study was conducted to assess the impact of these administrative changes on childhood immunization rates in one county. A secondary analysis of data in the state immunization registry was conducted to assess changes and patterns in childhood immunization rates within the local health department, federally qualified health centers, and private pediatric practices. These changes were compared in the 3-year period before, during, and after the change. Results revealed that there was no net negative change in the vaccination rates of 0- to 7-year-old children in the county. There was a shift in the proportion of vaccinations administered by each health care delivery setting. The majority of immunizations were administered in private pediatric practices. When state funding for the local public health department ceased, other delivery settings covered the immunizations previously provided in the public health sector.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.