Friday, July 21, 2000
Ky. near top in immunizing tots
Indiana and Ohio lagging, CDC report says
By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Kentucky is third best in the nation at immunizing toddlers against childhood diseases, a federal report states.
But Ohio and Indiana rank among the bottom third in the nation, despite high percentages of children immunized.
Health officials in Kentucky on Thursday credited tough immunization regulation in Northern Kentucky and strong coordination among various health and children's agencies as the main reasons Kentucky ranks so high.
According to the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 89 percent of Kentucky's children ages 19 months to 35 months have received the necessary vaccines to prevent such diseases as diphtheria, polio, measles and other illnesses Kentucky's mark trailed only Vermont's 90.7 percent and Rhode Island's 90.4 percent.
Ohio, with 79.1 percent, and Indiana, with 75.4 percent, ranked in the bottom third of the 50 states. The report does not provide their specific rankings.
In order for a toddler's immunizations to be up to date, he or she should have received by 36 months:
• Four doses of the vaccine that prevents diphthe ria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP).
• Three doses of polio vaccine.
• One dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Randy Hertzer, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health, questioned the accuracy of the CDC's data, in light of 1998 statistics that showed 86 percent of Ohio's 36-month-olds have the required vaccinations.
“I have a hard time explaining a drop that big,” Mr. Hertzer said.
Representatives of the Indiana State Department of Health could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Sandra Gambescia, manager of Kentucky's Immunization Program, said the state has improved its immunization rate, partly through a federal program that makes vaccines available to children who have no insurance or who are covered by Medicaid. She also cited co operative efforts by health departments, medical centers and doctors.
In Northern Kentucky, enforcement has gotten tougher. In 1990, the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department became the first in the state to require its staff to check children's immunization records at the 150 day-care centers in Kenton, Campbell, Boone and Grant counties.
Local health officials make unannounced visits to day-care centers to check immunization certificates. If a child's immunizations are not up to date, the family has 10 days to obtain proof of immunization or the child is excluded from day care.
Although Kentucky health officials do similar audits throughout the state, its limited staff has large areas to cover, said Dr. Susy Kramer, the health department's medical director.
The Goddard School, a preschool in Fort Mitchell, has undergone the surprise audits. Shelly Kuntz, its di rector, said health officials here are “very adamant about making sure the shots are given at the correct times and having the proper paperwork.”
Even before this report, Kentucky had achieved high immunization scores. The CDC report in 1997 showed that 81 percent of Kentucky's small children had received the shots. Only 10 other states had higher percentages at that time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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