Vaccination coverage by race/ethnicity and poverty level among children aged 19-35 months--United States, 1997.

The goals of the Childhood Immunization Initiative (CII) for 1996 were to have > or =90% of children receive three or more doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine/diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DTP/DT), poliovirus vaccine, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib) and one dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, and for > or =70% of children to receive three or more doses of hepatitis B vaccine. The National Immunization Survey (NIS) was undertaken as part of the CII to monitor vaccination coverage levels for each state and for 28 urban areas. This report presents coverage estimates by race/ethnicity and poverty level for 1997 and compares coverage estimates for 1995 and 1997; the findings indicate improvements in vaccination coverage levels among children living below poverty level although these levels were lower than levels among children living at or above poverty level.