Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born During 2017-2021 - U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report Vol. 73; no. 38; pp. 854 - 859
• Main Authors: Tippins, Ashley, Boyd, E M, Coy, Kelsey C, Mutamba, Glodi, Kriss, Jennifer L
• Format: Journal Article Newsletter
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. Government Printing Office 26.09.2024; U.S. Center for Disease Control; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; Biological products; Chicken pox; Child, Preschool; Children; Evidence-based medicine; Full Report; Health aspects; Health care expenditures; Health care reform; Health promotion; Hepatitis; Humans; Immunization; Infant; Information systems; Islands; Jurisdiction; Life expectancy; Measles; Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine; Medical care, Cost of; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mumps; Pacific Islands; Pandemics; Patients; Public health; Rotavirus; Rubella; Tetanus; Trends; United States; Vaccination; Vaccination Coverage - statistics & numerical data; Vaccines; Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viruses; Whooping cough; United States; Pacific Islands; American Samoa; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Nation); United States > US; Micronesia
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7338a4

Childhood vaccination is one of the most successful public health interventions to improve life expectancy, decrease health care costs, and reduce the spread of preventable diseases. Using data from jurisdictional immunization information systems, vaccination coverage by age 24 months among children born during 2017-2021 in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands was estimated for all vaccines included in jurisdictional programs. Progress toward the U.S. Healthy People 2030 and World Health Organization Immunization Agenda 2030 vaccination goals of ≥90% coverage by age 24 months with recommended vaccines was inconsistently met across jurisdictions. For example, coverage by age 24 months with ≥1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine ranged from 68.2% to 91.6% by birth cohort in Federated States of Micronesia and from 87.4% to 96.6% in Palau; coverage with ≥4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) ranged from 39.6% to 60.6% in Federated States of Micronesia and from 73.4% to 85.4% in Palau. Coverage as of June 1, 2024, increased for all vaccines across all jurisdictions and birth cohorts, indicating catch-up vaccination after age 24 months. For example, coverage with ≥4 doses of DTaP by June 1, 2024, ranged from 74.0% to 84.4% in American Samoa by birth cohort and from 91.6% to 94.8% in Palau. This report is the first comprehensive analysis of trends in childhood vaccination coverage in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands; data in this report can be used to determine where additional efforts are needed to assess reasons for delayed vaccination of children and strategies to mitigate vaccination delays, specific to each jurisdiction.