KEYWORD1:
immunization survey, vaccine, vaccination, coverage levels, telephone survey, household survey, in-person survey, school survey, LQAS, lot quality assurance sampling, retrospective, preschool child

BACKGROUND:
Texas is a large and diverse state with residents from varying cultural backgrounds. Interventions that target communities with vaccine coverage levels lower than the state would provide the best allocation of resources instead of a single statewide effort. However, community coverage level data are lacking.

OBJECTIVE:
To identify a survey methodology that would provide estimates on preschool vaccination coverage levels in Texas.

METHOD:
The Texas Department of Health (TDH) contracted with the Texas A&M University to conduct comparison studies of vaccination coverage evaluation methods in order to identify methods that are most feasible and cost-effective to implement by local and regional health departments. The three survey methodologies are telephone survey, retrospective school survey, and in-person survey. The population of interest was children two years of age. A child in the age group was determined to be up-to-date if s/he had received the 4-3-1 series.

RESULT:
Costs per interview along with advantages and limitations of each methodology will be presented at the conference.

CONCLUSION:
Due to the complexity of the State, one methodology cannot be used to assess vaccination levels. To monitor preschool vaccine coverage levels over time, it is recommended that local and regional health departments conduct retro surveys. These will provide data that can be compared to other counties. To identify pockets of need in selected areas or to provide pre- and post-intervention evaluation data, in-person surveys are recommended.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
To understand the costs, advantages, and limitations associated with in-person, telephone and school surveys.