title: A middle school immunization law rapidly and substantially increases immunization coverage among adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the effectiveness of a middle school vaccination requirement for raising second-dose measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine coverage among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random-digit-dialed telephone surveys were conducted before (1998) and after (1999) the implementation of a vaccination requirement for entry into the seventh grade in San Diego, Calif.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vaccination coverage was higher among children subject to the vaccination requirement (seventh-grade students; 60%) than among fifth- and sixth-grade students 1 year before the requirement (13%, P <.001), and 8th- through 12th-grade students not subject to the requirement (27%, P <.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Middle school-entry vaccination requirements can rapidly and substantially raise vaccination coverage among students subject to the law.
authors.affiliation: National Immunization Program, MS E-61, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. fma0@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Averhoff
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Linton
authors.forename: K Michael
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Peddecord
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fishbein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008297:Male; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015397:Program Evaluation
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine