School Reports  |  Immunization Index  |  Data and Statistics

School Immunization Levels in Indiana

2001-2002 School year

Indiana State Department of Health

Gregory A. Wilson, M.D., State Health Commissioner

Michael Hurst, J.D., Deputy State Health Commissioner

Public Health Services Commission

Wendy Gettelfinger, R.N., D.N.S., J.D., Assistant Commissioner

Immunization Program

Michael Runau, M.S., Program Director
Charlene Graves, M.D., Medical Director

Primary Author

Sandra Beck, M.P.H., Epidemiologist
Immunization Program
Indiana State Department of Health
2 North Meridian
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Published: 07/2002

Preface

As required by IC 20-8.1-7-11 , all schools in Indiana are required to self-report immunization coverage levels of their pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, sixth grade, and newly enrolled students to the immunization program at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) on an annual basis. The data from the 2001-2002 school immunization assessment is summarized in this report. In order to reduce the risk of vaccine preventable disease, every effort should be made by Indiana schools to ensure all enrolled children are up-to-date for their required vaccinations.

In 1999, Indiana implemented new and updated school immunization requirements, which affected kindergarten, first grade, and newly-enrolled students. Due to the fact that many students did not have time to complete many of their immunization requirements prior to the beginning of school, school reported immunization rates were lower than had been seen in previous years. However, by the 2000-2001 school year, school immunization rates should have risen to their previously high coverage levels now that school officials have had time to fully implement the new requirements.

Highlights

• A total of 2,433 schools (93.7%) reported data on 470,193 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, sixth grade, and newly enrolled students in their schools.
• Ninety-nine percent of public schools reported immunization data and 80% of private schools reported immunization data.
• Seventy percent (522) of schools in Indiana with pre-kindergarten enrollment reported completion levels 95% or higher.
• Sixty percent (899) of schools in Indiana with kindergarten enrollment reported completion levels 95% or higher.
• Ninety percent of schools that reported immunization information have completed their immunizations according to State requirements. (Table 1)

Table 1. Summary results of Indiana School immunization assessments, 1995-96 to 2001-2002 school years

*1995-96 – 1998-99 school years include: Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, sixth grade, and newly entered students.

†1999-2000 school year includes: Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade , sixth grade, and newly entered students (New requirements for school immunizations began in the 1999-2000 school year).

‡2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school year includes: Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, second grade , sixth grade, and newly entered students

Recommendations and Conclusions

• A decrease in students with complete immunization series requirements was experienced since the last assessment year. This was the first drop in immunization coverage levels experienced since the new requirements went into effect during the 1999-2000 school year.
• Schools and local health departments should review the data on facilities, available on the ISDH immunization website (https://www.in.gov/isdh/dataandstats/immunization/index.htm), in their areas to identify the ones reporting less than 95% completion levels for students in any grade level.
• Schools with low immunization coverage levels should make every effort to improve their rates. Contact your local health department or immunization field representative if you need assistance.
• Schools attaining a 95% coverage or greater are congratulated on their efforts and are encouraged to continue their endeavors in the immunization field.
• School administrators and nurses need to stay abreast of changes in state immunization requirements and should work diligently to ensure all incoming students for the new school year are in compliance. An up-to-date listing of immunization requirements for school-age children is available on the ISDH Immunization website (https://www.in.gov/isdh/programs/immunization) .
• Although assessments are required only once per year, it is of utmost importance that upon enrollment, each school inform parents as to which vaccines are required and give them a reasonable time frame for bringing their children “up-to-date”.
• Schools and parents need to make certain that students missing immunizations receive the proper vaccinations to bring them up-to-date on their immunization requirements.
• School immunization data are available on the ISDH website (https://www.in.gov/isdh) and we encourage all schools, school administrators, and parents to view the data.

Data in this report was collected from 2,433 schools throughout Indiana and compiled by the Indiana State Department of Health's Immunization Program.