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P002: Public Health Division

P002: Percent of preschoolers (19-35 months) fully immunized

Current Value

71.9%

2017

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

  • In 2017, New Mexico’s vaccine coverage for children ages 19-35 months old was 71.9%, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC’s) National Immunization Survey. The 4:3:1:3:3:1:4 (4 DTaP, 3 Polio, I MMR, 3 HepB, 3 HIB, 1 Varicella, and 4 Pneumococcal) series is the nationally-accepted 'gold standard' for childhood immunization coverage.
  • Vaccine coverage at two years of age is important because it is the baseline for lifelong prevention of infectious disease. This foundation prevents extremely serious diseases like polio, measles, and pneumonia that used to kill and hospitalize thousands. There are not any clear disparities among children for immunization.
  • New Mexico has made steady and gradual progress over the years in immunization coverage. It is important to maintain high protection rates or progress may be reversed. The Immunization Program uses best practices to keep improving.
  • Improvement in disease prevention has come from achieving herd immunity which means enough children have been immunized that it is unlikely for rapid contagion to occur in the population. This is accomplished by steady and effective purchase, distribution, and care of vaccines to make sure they are effective. The Program works with nearly 400 Vaccines for Children (VFC) providers to make sure they meet program requirements, including quality improvement measures, to cover as many as possible.
  • The Program audits at least 25% of providers each year to check their coverage rates and help them to come up with quality improvement plans to reach more children. The Program also works with day care facilities to enforce vaccine requirements for attendance.

Partners

  • Office of School and Adolescent Health
  • Public and private VFC providers across the state
  • Office of Superintendent of Insurance – on Vaccine Purchase Act
  • University of New Mexico and the New Mexico Immunization Coalition 
  • Indian Health Service

What Works

  • A strongly recommended evidence-based strategy is reminder-recall notices to families when a child is due or late for a vaccine.  
  • Ongoing provider AFIX (Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and Exchange) visits that focus on quality improvement to help practices improve immunization coverage of their childhood and adolescent populations.

Strategy

  • The Immunization Program will be enhancing the electronic immunization database (NMSIIS) to better support effective reminder and recall of clients needing immunizations. Effective reminder-recall notices and provider feedback depend on complete and accurate immunization records in NMSIIS. A primary Immunization Program goal is to improve registry data quality by continuing to increase electronic data exchange, train providers statewide, and assure that all VFC providers are entering immunizations.
  • Ongoing provider AFIX visits focus on quality improvement measures that help practices improve immunization coverage of their childhood and adolescent populations. 
  • Educate providers to generate NMSIIS coverage reports so they can review their own practice’s coverage levels.

Action Plan

  • Each quarter, Invoice at least 120 insurers & health plans listed by the Office of Superintendent of Insurance for their prorated share of vaccine costs.   
    • Q1: Completed
    • Q2: Met
    • Q3: Met
    • Q4: Met
  • By June 30, 2018 conduct 100 AFIX visits to inform VFC providers of immunization rates within their practices, and to create at least one quality improvement measure to increase immunization coverage in each practice.
    • Q1: On track to complete - 59 AFIX visits conducted.
    • Q2: On track to complete - 41 AFIX visits conducted.
    • Q3: On track to complete - No new AFIX visits conducted as the Immunization Program was conducting follow-up with providers previously visited.
    • Q4: Complete - 22 AFIX visits conducted.
      • FY18 (cumulative): 122 AFIX visits conducted.
  • Distribute three mass email newsletters promoting registry use and encouraging effective interventions for vaccine uptake to 1,000 Immunization Registry (NMSIIS) users starting December 1, 2017. 
    • Q1: Incomplete
    • Q2: Met
    • Q3: Met
    • Q4: Met

FY18 Annual Progress Summary

  • The Immunization Program invoiced all identified insurers and health plans listed by the Office of Superintendent of Insurance for their prorated share of vaccine costs at a projected cost of vaccine of $21,138,246.58 and successfully collected 100% of $18,762,844.48 that was billed.
  • The Immunization Program distributed flu vaccines to all Vaccines for Children Providers including 375 schools that participated in the School Kids Influenza Immunization Project.  A total of 18,798 doses were administered to school-aged children from kindergarten through high school.
  • 122 AFIX (Assessment, Feedback, Incentive, eXchange) visits were conducted in FY18, exceeding the target of 100 visits. These visits are designed to bring awareness to VFC providers of immunization rates within their practice, creating at least one quality improvement measure for increasing immunization coverage in each practice visited. 
  • The Immunization Program distributed mass emails to all users promoting Registry use and encouraging effective interventions, including distribution of monthly reminder recall notices to parents and guardians of children ages 19-35 months who were overdue for immunizations, had upcoming immunizations or who were scheduled for a well visit.
     

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