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University
Immunization Levels in Indiana
2003 - 2004 School year

Data in this report was collected 1823 from schools
throughout Indiana and compiled by the Indiana State
Department of Health’s Immunization Program.

Governor
Joseph E. Kernan

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

Indiana State Department of Health
Gregory A. Wilson, M.D., State Health Commissioner
M. Elizabeth Carroll, J.D., Deputy State Health Commissioner

Community and Family 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
Megan Steiger, M.P.H., Epidemiologist

Immunization Program
Indiana State Department of Health
2 N Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Publication Date: 06/2004

The Indiana State Department of Health gratefully acknowledges the efforts of the university staff members who had the major task of implementing this law at their respective institutions.

Preface

In 1993, the Indiana General Assembly enacted legislation, implemented in 1995 (IC 20-12-71), requiring new full-time students attending classes at a residential public postsecondary institution to document immunity against five diseases preventable by vaccination. As a result of this law, six universities (Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, Purdue University, the University of Southern Indiana, and Vincennes University) require matriculating students to document proof of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria. The law requires the universities to designate a record-keeping office who will maintain records on all full-time matriculating students and identify those students who are exempt from providing proof of immunity for religious or medical reasons. Students are to be denied second semester enrollment if they do not provide the proper documentation of immunity. The six universities are also required to submit individual reports, indicating the immune status of their students, to the Indiana State Department of Health on an annual basis. The present report, "University Immunization Rates in Indiana" prepared by the Indiana State Department of Health, summarizes the data received from the universities for the 2003-2004 school year.

Highlights

• A total of 29,313 incoming students were subject to the immunization requirements at the six universities, as required by law and university policy for
  the 2003-2004 school year.
  
• The overall percentage of new full-time students completely vaccinated with individual vaccines ranged from 95.1% (measles) to 95.7% (mumps).
  
• The overall percentage of new full-time students in compliance with the law and university policy ranged from 95.9% (tetanus/diphtheria) to 96.9% (mumps and rubella).
  
• Five of the six universities achieved greater than a 90% compliance rate for protection against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria.  The remaining university achieved greater than 87% compliance rate for protection against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria.
  
• All six universities reported whether students were in compliance with state requirements.  A total of 594 (2.0%) students received notice of their exclusion from second semester enrollment from their universities due to their failure to comply with state immunization requirements.

Table of Contents

• Table 1. Combined-student university immunization report
• Table 2. Percent of students in compliance with law, by school
• Figure 1. Percent of students in compliance with law, previous four years
• Figure 2. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years

Individual University Reports

• Table 3. Ball State University: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 3. Ball State University: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years
• Table 4. Indiana State University: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 4. Indiana State University: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years
• Table 5. Indiana University – Bloomington: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 5. Indiana University – Bloomington: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years
• Table 6. Purdue University – West Lafayette: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 6. Purdue University – West Lafayette: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years
• Table 7. University of Southern Indiana: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 7. University of Southern Indiana: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years
• Table 8. Vincennes University: 2003-2004 Results
• Figure 8. Vincennes University: Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four years

Recommendations and Conclusions

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 594 (2.0%)

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category resulting in immunization coverage levels above 100 percent.

Figure 1. Percent of students in compliance with Indiana state law, for all six universities, previous four school years.

Figure 2. Percent of students completely vaccinated, for all six universities, previous four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 80 (2.1%)

Figure 3. Percent of Ball State University students completely vaccinated for the last four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 110 (4.1%)

Figure 4. Indiana State University. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 125 (1.4%)

Figure 5. Indiana University -Bloomington. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 129 (1.6%)

Figure 6. Purdue University. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 12 (.4%)

Figure 7. University of Southern Indiana. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four school years.

* Some students may have been included in more than one compliance category.

Total Number of Students Who Received a Notice of Exclusion from Second Semester Enrollment for Failure to Comply with Immunization Policy: 150 (7.0%)

Figure 8. Vincennes University. Percent of students completely vaccinated, previous four school years.

Recommendations and Conclusions

• The six public universities covered by Indiana Code 20-12-71 can expect to have a reduced risk of outbreaks of measles, mumps, rubella, and diphtheria as well as a reduced risk of encountering cases of tetanus.
• All universities should achieve 100% compliance levels. To accomplish 100% compliance, immunization coverage levels will most likely have to reach 95% or higher, with the remainder of the student population complying by previous disease history, laboratory evidence of immunity, age, or religious or medical exemptions.
• Although overall compliance and vaccination rates increased in the 2003-2004 assessment, half of the universities experienced drops in at least one of the vaccine categories.  These universities should work to improve rates for the 2004-2005 assessment.
• Universities with immunization rates falling below 90% should work to improve immunization coverage levels for incoming freshman.
• Universities with students who failed to comply with the immunization requirements, as defined by IC 20-12-71-15, should have identified those students and denied them enrollment until requirements were met.

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