IMMUNIZATIONS IMMUNIZATION FOR KINDERGARTENERS REMAINS STEADY AT OVER 95%.

This indicator reports the percent of children who received all of the doses of specific vaccines recommended for attending child care facilities and required at kindergarten entry. Child care facilities include any private or public child care center, day nursery, nursery school, family day care home or development center.1

The widespread use of safe, effective childhood vaccinations has been one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions in the U.S. and globally. Many serious and once-common childhood infections have been dramatically reduced through routine immunizations. The success of immunization programs depends upon appropriate timing and on a high rate of vaccine acceptance, particularly among parents of young children. Over the past decade, increasing numbers of children with delayed or refused vaccinations have led to reduced levels of vaccine coverage. Studies have found that children whose parents delay or refuse vaccines are more likely to be White and reside in well-educated, higher income areas.2 On the population level, success depends on a community achieving a threshold level of immunity and many communities are below the protective level needed to prevent the spread of disease.3

• In 2017, 95.1% of Orange County children in child care centers had been adequately immunized (4:3:1 schedule) at their time of enrollment, higher than the low of 87.6% in 2013.4

• In 2018, 95.7% of Orange County kindergartners had up-to-date immunizations, a 7.9% increase from the 10-year low at 88.7% in 2013 and the same rate as 2017.

• These percentages and trends are similar to those among kindergartners throughout California, who were immunized at a rate of 94.8%.5

• Laguna Beach Unified had the lowest percentage of kindergartners with up-to-date immunization levels at 87.2%. This correlates with higher percentages of permanent medical exemptions and conditional enrollments in this district.5

Effective July 1, 2016, California law now removes the personal belief exemption from statute and requires almost all schoolchildren to be fully vaccinated in order to attend public or private elementary, middle and high schools. For kindergarten entrance, children must be immunized against 10 diseases: Diphtheria, Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Bacterial menigitus), Measles, Mumps, Pertussis (whooping cough), Polio, Rubella, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Varicella (chicken pox). Home school students or students who do not receive classroom-based instruction are not required to be vaccinated. Students who qualify for an Individualized Educational Program cannot be prevented from accessing any special education and related services required by their IEP. The medical exemption will remain in statute.

• Up-To-Date at Child Care Enrollment, Orange County

• Up-To-Date at Kindergarten Entry, California

• Up-To-Date at Kindergarten Entry, Orange County

Note: After 2010, California data is no longer being collected for percent of up-to-date immunized children after their 2nd birthday.

Note: 2006 to 2010 Orange County data includes other Southern California counties (Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego). 2011-2014 data include a small, random sample of schools for Orange County only.