| **National      Center for       Health Statistics               Division of Data       Services               6525 Belcrest Road       Hyattsville, MD       20782-2003       (301)458-4636 **

**The National Immunization SurveyHome | English Overview | Spanish Overview | Household FAQProvider FAQ | Children with    Special Health Care Needs FAQSurvey of Families with Young Children FAQ | ConfidentialityAbt Associates Inc. | MMWR | Search NCHS | Contact    us**
**Overview**

Immunizing children against infectious    disease has been a central mission, and a substantial success, for our national public    health systems. During the 20th century the United States has seen the incidence of    measles, pertussis, and diphtheria fall by more than 98%. This is due primarily to the use    of vaccines that immunize children against these illnesses. But many children are still    not adequately vaccinated, and levels of disease can be lowered much further.

The Childhood Immunization Initiative    (CII) is one of many Federal, State, and local programs mounted to raise vaccination    levels among young children. Initiated by President Clinton, the CII established a    1996 goal of increasing vaccination levels for 2-year-old children to at least 90% for    measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, oral    poliovirus vaccine, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine. In addition, the CII    established a goal for 1996 to increase vaccination levels for 2-year-old children to at    least 70% for three or more doses of hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine.Sponsored by the **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention**    (CDC), the National Immunization Survey (NIS) is used to assess progress towards these    goals. The study collects data by interviewing households in all 50 States, the    District of Columbia, and 27 urban areas. The interviews are conducted by telephone    with households selected by random chance. The NIS data provide current,    population-based, State and local area estimates of vaccination coverage produced by a    standard methodology. Each quarter, estimates of vaccination coverage levels are    calculated and valid comparisons of State efforts to deliver vaccination services are    made.  As well as evaluating progress towards national vaccination goals, CDC uses    the NIS data to identify States with the highest and lowest rates.To assure the accuracy and precision of the    estimates, immunization data for surveyed children are also collected through a mail    survey of their pediatricians, family physicians, and other health care providers. The    parents and guardians of NIS-eligible children are asked during the telephone interview    for consent to contact childrens' vaccination providers. In the past year, the NIS    Provider Study Immunization History Questionnaire was sent to approximately 30,000 medical    providers. Types of immunizations, dates of administration, and additional data about    facility characteristics are requested from immunization providers identified during the    telephone survey of households. The NIS estimates of vaccination coverage reflect a    comparison of information provided by both immunization providers and households.

**Home | English Overview | Spanish Overview |    Household FAQProvider FAQ | Children with    Special Health Care Needs FAQSurvey of Families with Young Children FAQ | ConfidentialityAbt Associates Inc. | MMWR | Search NCHS | Contact    us**
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This page last reviewed March 24, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636 |
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