Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born in 2016 and 2017 — National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2017–2019

Abstract

Immunization has been described as a "global health and development success story," and worldwide is estimated to prevent 2-3 million deaths annually.* In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) currently recommends vaccination against 14 potentially serious illnesses by the time a child reaches age 24 months (1). CDC monitors coverage with ACIP-recommended vaccines through the National Immunization Survey-Child (NIS-Child); data from the survey were used to estimate vaccination coverage at the national, regional, state, territorial, and selected local area levels † among children born in 2016 and 2017. National coverage by age 24 months was ≥90% for ≥3 doses of poliovirus vaccine, ≥3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB), and ≥1 dose of varicella vaccine (VAR); national coverage was ≥90% for ≥1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), although MMR coverage was <90% in 14 states. Coverage with ≥2 doses of influenza vaccine was higher for children born during 2016-2017 (58.1%) than for those born during 2014-2015 (53.8%) but was the lowest among all vaccines studied. Only 1.2% of children had received no vaccinations by age 24 months. Vaccination coverage among * https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1. † Estimates for states, selected local areas, and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico are available online at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/ coverage/childvaxview/data-reports/index.html. Certain local areas that receive federal Section 317 immunization funds are sampled separately and included in the NIS-Child sample every year

We Have Met the Enemy, and He is Us: Falling Childhood Immunization Rates

“…The rates of vaccination are worse for the uninsured and for children with Medicaid, and disparities in coverage also are consistently observed by race and ethnicity and location-cities worse than suburbs-though the differences are smaller than those attributed to insurance status [15].…”

“…The CDC chooses certain ages at which to measure vaccination rates and chooses different methodologies with which to do so. The most reproducible of these is the National Immunization Survey (NIS), which looks at ACIPrecommended vaccines in over 25,000 children aged < 24 months, with a special survey for influenza vaccine of children aged 6-59 months [15].…”

“…Only 70.5% of the children born from 2017 to 2019 received the entire combined seven-vaccine series by 24 months [15]. Importantly, only 58.1% of the children surveyed had received two or more influenza vaccines by 60 months [15]. The influenza vaccine is not required for school attendance; it is likely that the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required.…”

“…The influenza vaccine is not required for school attendance; it is likely that the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required. Adherence to the recommendation dropped if the vaccine was not required or if multiple boosters were required [15].…”

“…According to the CDC, immunization has been described as a 'global health and development success story,' and worldwide, immunization is estimated to prevent 2-3 million deaths annually" [15]. The most recent survey reveals more information and compares rates to previous years.…”