Measure description
Percentage of children 2 years of age who had four diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP); three polio (IPV), one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); three or four H influenza type B (Hib); three hepatitis B (Hep B); one chicken pox (VZV); four pneumococcal conjugate (PCV); one hepatitis A (Hep A); two or three rotavirus (RV); and two influenza (flu) vaccines by their second birthday
Rationale
Infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases because their immune systems have not built up the necessary defenses to fight infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019). Most childhood vaccines are between 90 and 99 percent effective in preventing diseases (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013). Vaccination of each U.S. birth cohort with the current childhood immunization schedule prevents approximately 42,000 deaths and 20 million cases of disease and saves nearly $14 billion in direct costs and $69 billion in societal costs each year (Zhou et al., 2014).
Immunizing a child not only protects that child's health but also the health of the community, especially for those who are not immunized or are unable to be immunized due to other health complications (CDC, 2018).
Clinical Recommendation Statements
This measure looks for childhood vaccinations that should be completed by age 2, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (CDC ACIP) recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule (CDC ACIP 2021).
-- For the 2021–22 season, see the 2021–22 ACIP influenza vaccine recommendations.