Timeliness of childhood immunizations: a state-specific analysis.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the timeliness of vaccine administration among children aged 24 to 35 months for each state of the United States and the District of Columbia.

METHODS

We analyzed the timeliness of vaccinations in the 2000-2002 National Immunization Survey. We used a modified Bonferroni adjustment to compare a reference state with all other states.

RESULTS

Receipt of all vaccinations as recommended ranged from 2% (Mississippi) to 26% (Massachusetts), with western states having less timeliness than eastern states.

CONCLUSIONS

Vaccination coverage measures usually focus on the number of vaccinations accumulated by specified ages. Our analysis of timeliness of administration shows that children rarely receive all vaccinations as recommended. State health departments can use timeliness of vaccinations along with other measures to determine children's susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases and to evaluate the quality of vaccination programs. States can use the modified Bonferroni comparison to appropriately compare their results with other states.