America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007
Childhood Immunization
Rates of childhood immunization are one measure of which children are protected from serious vaccine-preventable illnesses. The combined immunization series (often referred to as the 4:3:1:3:3 combined series) rate measures receipt of the doses of five vaccinations that have been recommended since 1991 or earlier.
Indicator HC3: Percentage of children ages 19–35 months with the 4:3:1:3:3 combined series of vaccinations by poverty status, 1996–2005
NOTE: The 4:3:1:3:3 series consists of 4 (or more) doses of diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccines, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, and diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and any acellular pertussis vaccine (DTP/DT/DTaP); 3 (or more) doses of poliovirus vaccine; 1 (or more) doses of any measles-containing vaccine; 3 (or more) doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine; and 3 (or more) doses of hepatitis B vaccine. The recommended immunization schedule for children is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and National Center for Health Statistics, National Immunization Survey.
- In 2005, 81 percent of children ages 19–35 months had received the recommended combined five-vaccine series (often referred to as the 4:3:1:3:3 combined series).
- Children in families below the poverty level had lower rates of coverage (77 percent) with the combined series compared with children at or above poverty (83 percent).
- Percentages of coverage with the five-vaccine series were higher among White, non-Hispanic children than among Black, non-Hispanic or Hispanic children. Eighty-two percent of White, non-Hispanic children ages 19–35 months received these immunizations, compared with 79 percent of Black, non-Hispanic children and 79 percent of Hispanic children.
- Overall, coverage with the combined series has been increasing since 2001; the gap in coverage between children living at or above the poverty level and children living below the poverty level remained relatively stable.
- Varicella vaccine (for chicken pox), licensed in 1995 and recommended in 1996, was received by 88 percent of children ages 19–35 months in 2005. Coverage for this vaccine was slightly higher for children living at or above the poverty level (88 percent), compared to children living below the poverty level (87 percent).
- In 2005, 83 percent of children ages 19–35 months received three or more doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. This vaccine was recommended in 2000. The full series of this vaccine includes four doses; when shortages of this vaccine occurred during 2001–2004, there were recommendations to defer the third, or third and fourth, doses.
