Recommendations for Increasing Immunization Coverage Rates in Arizona
Immunization coverage rates in Arizona continue to fall. The ability for parents to opt their child out of vaccination is simple and is being done more frequently in Arizona. This has resulted in families and communities being at increased risk for vaccine preventable diseases.
The ADHS recently led a stakeholder group that explored interventions and activities that could help to stop and reverse this negative trend and increase vaccine coverage rates across all Arizona communities. The group developed a report that included the following goals:
-
Improve vaccine education to professionals who will interact with parents
-
Implement public information campaigns to promote vaccination
-
Evaluate the effectiveness of current vaccine education pilot in reducing exemptions
-
Ensure private providers continue to provide childhood vaccination services
-
Determine best practices for improving vaccination coverage
-
Partner with the Department of Education to increase school vaccination rates and compliance
The team put together a 15-page report that includes recommendations to address each goal. I couldn’t find a copy of the report on their website, but somebody sent me a copy. The recommendations are mostly educational or administrative- no major policy recommendations (like eliminating the personal exemption). Take a look. Sounds like we will be seeing more details about these goals and recommendations in the coming months.
