KEYWORDS:
WIC, Assessment, Immunizations, Linking databases,
BACKGROUND:
The Michigan Childhood Immunization Registry (MCIR) was established in the Michigan Public Health Code in 1996. The registry contains 2.6 million children and over 30 million shot records. WIC offers services to more then 50% of all infants born in Michigan and, additionally, provides services to more than 100,000 children. In 1996 WIC’s existing computer system (M-TRACX), added an immunization tracking component so that shot doses could be entered into the system by WIC staff and reports could be generated. In 1999, all of the doses and dose dates were transferred into the MCIR. Until the two databases were linked, there was no systematic way to determine which of the children in the MCIR were WIC participants.
OBJECTIVE:
To demonstrate the benefits of linking WIC databases with Immunization Registries.
METHOD:
WIC Division, Immunization Division, and the Department of Information Technology collaborated to modify the MCIR database to create the ability to match and extract data from the WIC system. Sharing these data files enabled MCIR to generate a report of the immunization coverage levels of all active WIC children by age, WIC Agency, WIC Clinic and State of Michigan WIC levels.
RESULT:
In January of 2003 the State of Michigan started generating WIC/MCIR reports for each WIC Agency and Clinic. These reports generate a listing of children who are not up-to-date for vaccines, and reports the percentage of children who are up-to-date for age for each WIC clinic.
CONCLUSION:
State of Michigan can measure WIC immunizations levels on a monthly basis or as needed. WIC Agencies and WIC Clinics have access to immunization coverage level reports on a monthly basis. WIC Children in Michigan have a higher State completion rate then expected: 57% of all WIC children 19 to 36 months of age, have 4 DTaP, 3 HIB, 3 HepB, 1 MMR, 3 Polio, 1 Varicella.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participants will learn how WIC Clinics in Michigan are using the WIC/MCIR assessment reports to help increase immunization levels of WIC Children.
Back to The Benefits of Cross-Program Collaboration: WIC, Immunization Program, and Immunization Registry
Back to The 2003 Immunization Registry Conference (October 27-29, 2003)