2016-2017 Annual Report Of Immunization Status Of Students

2016-2017Annual Report of Immunization Status of StudentsDSHS Immunization UnitBackgroundTexas requires public school districts and accredited private schools toannually submit a report of students’ immunization status (Title 25 HealthServices, Texas Administrative Code, §§97.61-97.72). The Annual Report ofImmunization Status is a self-reported survey that is used to measureimmunization coverage among kindergarten and 7th grade students.Information on the reason kindergarten and 7th grade students are notvaccinated is also collected. Additionally, the number of all students (K-12)with a conscientious exemption affidavit on file is collected. The results ofthis report assist the Immunization Unit in identifying counties with lowimmunization coverage rates and those with high exemption rates.MethodsIn September 2016, the Annual Report of Immunization Status was mailedto 1,195 public school districts and 1,046 accredited private schools inTexas. The survey captures the immunization status of students on thesurvey’s snapshot date, the last Friday in October. The survey collectsaggregated data on the immunization status of the students, including thereasons why a child is not vaccinated according to the Texas school entryrequirements, and the total number of conscientious exemption affidavitforms filed at the public school district or private school. Reports areprepared and submitted by staff at each public school district and accreditedprivate school.ResultsOver 88% of the surveyed facilities completed the report. Of the schoolsresponding to the 2016-2017 annual report, 52,756 kindergarten through12th grade students were reported as having a conscientious exemption on1

file at the school. This number represents 0.97% of the number of studentsreported enrolled by schools in the surveyTables 1 and 2 show aggregated statewide results from the fall of 2016. Thepercent completely and incompletely immunized are shown for each vaccine.Immunization coverage was above 95% for each vaccine. Reported reasonsfor incompletion by vaccine are also reported.Tables 3 and 4 represent students who are completely vaccinated for eachvaccine by region and their respective grade levels.Figure 1 illustrates the percent of students with a conscientious exemptionby county as reported by participating school districts and accredited privateschools.ConclusionOverall, Texas schools reported high rates of coverage for each vaccine.Compared to the 2015-2016 school year, however, kindergarten studentshave slightly lower coverage as reports of conscientious exemptions,provisional enrollment, and delinquencies all increased slightly in 20162017. Across the board, kindergarten coverage decreased by 0.2 to 0.4percentage points from the previous school year. Kindergartenconscientious exemption rates increased by at least 0.2 percentage points inevery vaccine category and delinquency rates increased by 0.05 to 0.11percentage points. For 7th grade students, vaccination coverage improvedfrom the 2015-2016 school year. This improvement appears to beattributable to decreases in provisional enrollment and delinquencies. Forexample, 7th grade varicella (chickenpox) coverage increased by 0.7percentage points while varicella provisional enrollment decreased by 0.18percentage points and varicella delinquency decreased by 0.49 percentagepoints.2

Table 1. Texas Kindergarten Annual Report of Immunization Status,School Year 2016-2017Vaccine CategoryPercentCompletelyVaccinatedReported Reasons for Lack of Completion rovisionalEnrollmentDelinquent%%%%DTaP (Diphtheria,tetanus, acellularpertussis)Hepatitis AHepatitis BMMR (Measles,mumps, 0.28%0.92%0.96%96.53%1.43%0.13%0.52%0.98%*An additional 0.41% of Kindergarten students met school entry requirements through proven historyof varicella (chickenpox) disease.Table 2. Texas 7th Grade Annual Report of Immunization Status,School Year 2016-2017Vaccine CategoryPercentCompletelyVaccinatedReported Reasons for Lack of Completion rovisionalEnrollmentDelinquent%%%%Tdap (Tetanus,diphtheria, acellularpertussis)Hepatitis AHepatitis BMCV4 (Meningococcalconjugate)MMR (Measles,mumps, 1%0.10%0.20%0.39%*An additional 1.81% of 7th grade students met school entry requirements through proven history ofvaricella (chickenpox) disease.3

Table 3. Percent of Kindergarten Students Completely Vaccinated byHealth Service Region, School Year 2016-2017VaccineHealth Service 96.21%97.87%97.75%99.09%Hepatitis AHepatitis tanus,acellularpertussis)(Chickenpox)*This percentage does not reflect kindergarten students who met school entry requirements throughproven history of varicella (chickenpox) disease.Table 4. Percent of 7th Grade Students Completely Vaccinated byHealth Service Region, School Year 2016-2017VaccineHealth Service is AHepatitis BMCV4(Meningococcalconjugate)MMR(Chickenpox)*This percentage does not reflect 7th grade students who met school entry requirements throughproven history of varicella (chickenpox) disease.4

Figure 1. Percent of Students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Gradewith a Conscientious ExemptionTexas Department of State Health ServicesImmunization UnitStock No. 11-14849Revised 05/20175

In September 2016, the Annual Report of Immunization Status was mailed to 1,195 public school districts and 1,046 accredited private schools in Texas. The survey captures the immunization status of students on the survey’s snapshot date, the last Friday in October. The survey collects