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SEPTEMBER 1999 Immunization registry news from All Kids Count.
Issue Number 7 September 29, 1999 All Kids Count is a national network of demonstration projects working to develop and implement community-based immunization registries for infants and toddlers. Collectively, All Kids Count projects represent the country's most advanced base of experience with immunization registries. All Kids Count is supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance from The Task Force for Child Survival and Development. HEADLINES Oklahoma Registry Monitors Response to Vaccine Safety Precautions Preliminary Results From NIP's Immunization Registry Annual Registry Data Preferred for Medicaid Immunization Rate Validation Registries Hold Savings Potential for Schools States Awarded $19 Million for Improving Electronic Call for Abstracts: 2000 Immunization Registry Conference Oklahoma Registry Monitors Response to Vaccine Safety Precautions The Oklahoma State Immunization Information System (OSIIS), an All Kids Count project, is using registry data to monitor and analyze the effects of vaccine safety policy. During periodic checks of new registry data, OSIIS staff discovered two providers who were unaware of the temporary suspension of the rotavirus vaccine and had continued to administer the vaccine. Staff contacted the providers and alerted them to the suspension. An ongoing assessment of data in the Oklahoma registry also revealed a decline in immunization rates for Hepatitis B following the July recommendation to discontinue the vaccination for newborns due to safety concerns about the preservative Thimerosal. Although the recommendation applied to newborns only, registry data has shown declines in the number of children who receive the Hep B vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months. While it is too early to conclude that concerns about Thimerosal are leading to the decline, Oklahoma will continue to monitor this trend. Preliminary Results From NIP's Immunization Registry Annual Report Now Available Selected preliminary results of the first phase of the National Immunization Program's 1999 Immunization Registry Annual Report, a survey of self-reported data from CDC-funded registries in states, cities and territories, are now posted on the NIP Registry Clearinghouse web site www.cdc.gov/nip/registry. Included are saturation figures regarding children enrolled in a registry, providers enrolled in a registry, providers enrolled and actively participating in a registry, as well as a numerical summary of the 12 core registry attributes. Results of the second phase, which surveys registries not funded by CDC, are expected in early 2000. For additional information, contact Jim Harrison, toll-free at 1-800-799-7062, or via email at siisclear@cdc.gov. Registry Data Preferred for Medicaid Immunization Rate Validation Accountability is the watchword in every agency where taxpayer dollars are spent, especially with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) taking effect in FY1998. GPRA requires federal agencies, including state Medicaid agencies, to be more accountable for results that are meaningful to the taxpayer public. The Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA) has elected to demonstrate the effectiveness of its efforts to increase childhood immunizations for its Medicaid enrollees, with beneficial results for state Medicaid and state immunization programs, as well as immunization registries. Most state Medicaid agencies will use a combination of methods to measure baseline immunization rates and improvements in rates over a three-year period, according to Lance Rodewald of NIP/CDC, who, along with others from NIP, is working with HCFA staff to establish methodology for helping the Medicaid agencies meet their goals. These include HEDIS measures, the National Immunization Survey (NIS), 2-year-old surveys, Medicaid claims data, and registry data. Rodewald notes that registry data is "the preferred data source among Medicaid directors," and, in the long term, registries are expected to provide all measurement data. In some states, like Maine and Oregon, strong partnerships already exist between the state Medicaid agency, immunization programs and the registry. In other states, including Washington and Michigan, new partnerships are being forged as Medicaid recognizes the value that immunization programs and registries hold. Registries Hold Savings Potential for Schools Each September, school nurses and other administrative staff face the challenging task of checking to see that all students at every school are up-to-date with their immunizations, as required by their state law. The staff time needed to make that determination for each new and returning student costs state education departments nationwide millions of dollars each year. CDC 1998 estimates of annual costs for five states are: Florida, $12 million; Arizona, $4.2 million; Minnesota, $5 million; and Washington, $5.9 million, based on $4-6 per student, grades K-12. Potentially, much of this cost could be eliminated if schools could access a state- or community-based immunization registry containing all students' immunization histories. CDC and All Kids Count are attempting to gather additional data on costs to school districts, which are supported by state and local resources. States Awarded $19 Million for Improving Electronic Communications Networks The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in September that it has awarded states $19 million for improving electronic communications networks. One of six funding areas totaling $40 million, the award will help state and local public health agencies respond to bioterrorist acts in the United States. The three-year grants, which ranged from $250,000 to $750,000, were awarded to 35 states and New York City. A related grant program, the Health Alert Network/Training Exemplar Projects Award, will be announced by the end of September. These funds, also ranging from $250,000 to $750,000, will be awarded to three to five projects demonstrating advanced bioterrorist preparedness. The projects will serve as learning resources and demonstration sites for other local agencies. The CDC press release announcing the awards can be found at www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r990915.htm. Call for Abstracts: 2000 Immunization Registry Conference Abstracts are being accepted for the Immunization Registry Conference to be held March 27-29, 2000, in Newport, Rhode Island. Presented by the National Immunization Program (NIP) and co-sponsored by All Kids Count and the Rhode Island Department of Health, the annual conference will bring together public and private sector health care partners to share knowledge and experiences regarding the development and utilization of immunization registries. Deadline for abstracts is December 3. A conference overview, registration form, and abstract submission form are available at www.cdc.gov/nip/registry/2000conf.htm We hope you will forward this e-mail to others who may be interested in receiving SnapShots. To SUBSCRIBE, click here.. This information will remain confidential and will not be sold or
passed on to other parties. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please go to http://www.allkidscount.org/suscribe. Back to Registry News & Information
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