On the whole, Houston's immunization rates have increased from 11% in 1991 to a high of 78% in 2005. This increase has been attributed to multiple collaborative initiatives including increased public awareness, increased physician and nurse education, and increased immunization registry use by promoting immunization best practices. However, the National Immunization Survey (NIS) results for 2006 show that the rate has decreased slightly to 73.8%. The decrease in immunization rates emphasizes the importance of strengthening ongoing collaboration and broadening the scope of interventions in order to achieve and maintain high immunization rates.
Recognizing the importance of expanding the range of strategies in order to achieve and sustain high immunization rates, in 2007 the Houston-Harris County Immunization Registry Board of Directors developed a new name and mission that truly reflects the broader scope of the organization. The organization became the Houston Area Immunization Partnership. The Partnership aims to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases by developing and coordinating our communities' resources through public and private partnerships. As part of its evolution into an organization that supports broader immunization issues, the partnership has developed a community-wide program to educate individuals, parents and providers about the importance of on-time immunizations. The partnership also advocates for evidence-based public policy and fosters collaborative efforts among the immunization partners represented on the Board.
The graph below demonstrates both our progress and how far we still have to go to reach national target goals for immunization. Even the target goal of 80% up-to-date means that 2 of every 10 children are missing some of their vaccinations.
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