Measuring Adolescent Data Capture In Oregon's IIS Sentinel Region

Background:  The Oregon ALERT Immunization Information System (ALERT IIS) has collected data on children age 0-18 years since 1996, including birth records from 1998 to present.  ALERT currently captures 96% of early childhood immunization records statewide.  As birth cohorts mature, so has ALERT’s adolescent data which supports broader use for clinical decision support and public health evaluation. Oregon is also a participant with the CDC Sentinel Site project; the goals of the project are to promote the population-based analysis of IIS data and improve overall IIS data quality and standards.

Setting:  The Oregon Sentinel Region is based in the greater Portland metropolitan area, and encompasses one-third of the statewide population.  Within the Sentinel Region, 95% of providers report to ALERT.

Population:  Oregon’s birth cohort in 2009 was 46,327. Annual cohorts of children between ages 0 to 12 captured by ALERT in the Oregon Sentinel Region averaged 18,978 per year as of 2010; between ages 13 to 17 the average cohort size captured into ALERTwas 18,448. These averages parallel the high capture rate among children in the IIS.

Project Description:  This project assessed the representativeness of population capture in the Oregon Sentinel region, and analyzed outcomes based on these data, including reporting on adolescent immunization rates and trends.  Adolescent capture and rates continue to increase, though uptake rates vary across the region.  As an example, HPV uptake among adolescent girls varied between 32% and 57% across neighborhoods.

Results/Lessons Learned:  ALERT’s adolescent data is sufficient to meet the increasing need for tracking and comparing immunizations among adolescents. Plotting adolescent vaccine uptake against changes in ACIP recommendations, Oregon school law requirements and expansion of pharmacy vaccinations among adolescents demonstrates the utility of IIS data in public health decision making.