Immunization

Childhood vaccination is essential to protect children from severe illness, disability, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. Data on vaccination coverage are used to identify groups at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, monitor trends in vaccination over time, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase coverage.

Indicator HC3.A: Percentage of children by age 24 months who have completed the combined 7-vaccine series by poverty status, birth years 2011–2018
Indicator HC3.A: Percentage of children by age 24 months who have completed the combined 7-vaccine series by poverty status, birth years 2011–2018

NOTE: The combined 7-vaccine series consists of 4 doses (or more) of diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and pertussis (DTP) vaccines, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DT), or diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and any acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines; 3 doses (or more) of poliovirus vaccines; 1 dose (or more) of any measles-containing vaccine; the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines (3 or 4 doses, depending on product type); 3 doses (or more) of hepatitis B vaccines; 1 dose (or more) of varicella vaccine; and 4 doses (or more) of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). The recommended immunization schedule for children is available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html. Poverty status is based on family income and household size using U.S. Census Bureau poverty thresholds for the year of data collection. Data for the 2018 birth year are from survey years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, National Immunization Survey—Child.

Indicator HC3.B: Percentage of adolescents ages 13–17 years with routinely recommended-for-age vaccinations, 2011–2021
Indicator HC3.B: Percentage of adolescents ages 13–17 years with routinely recommended-for-age vaccinations, 2011–2021

NOTE: The routine vaccination recommendation for adolescents beginning at ages 11–12 includes tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccines (Tdap), meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MenACWY), and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines (HPV-UTD 2 or 3 doses to complete the vaccine series, depending on when first dose is received). The recommended immunization schedule for adolescents is available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/preteen-teen.html.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, National Immunization Survey—Teen.

  • For children born in 2018, those in families with incomes below the poverty threshold had lower coverage with the 7-vaccine series by age 24 months of 60% compared with 75% for those in families with incomes at or above the poverty level.
  • Among children born since 2011, the total percentage who received the recommended combined 7-vaccine series (4:3:1:3*:3:1:4) by age 24 months has remained steady. Disparity in coverage by poverty has persisted.
  • Since 2011, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage has steadily increased. In 2021, HPV vaccination coverage for adolescents ages 13–17 years for one dose (or more) of HPV vaccine was 77%, and up-to-date (UTD) HPV vaccine coverage was 62%. HPV vaccine coverage is lower than the other two vaccinations recommended for adolescents.
  • Vaccination coverage for adolescents ages 13–17 for the two additional routinely recommended vaccinations for adolescents remains high. In 2021, vaccination coverage for one dose (or more) of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) was 90% and vaccination coverage for one dose (or more) of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) was 89%.

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