Immunization information systems: Beyond the basics

ABSTRACT

Government funding for immunization registries became available when President Bill Clinton included immunization registries in his Childhood Immunization Initiative in 1993.1 There are currently 63 registries, now called immunization information systems (IlSs), in the United States. IISs have many advantages;they can improve immunization rates, reduce vaccination errors, identify opportunities to vaccinate, provide epidemiological insights when there is a community outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, and allow access by patients, families, schools, and other health care providers. There are federal requirements for documenting vaccines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes the specific vaccine, manufacturer, lot number, the date and location, and that the patient and/or family was given a vaccine information statement (VIS) to review with its publication date.3 Most IISs will permit noting if the vaccine was refused and the description of any adverse reactions.