A middle school immunization law rapidly and substantially increases immunization coverage among adolescents.
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.
Averhoff
Francisco
F
National Immunization Program, MS E-61, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. fma0@cdc.gov
Linton
Leslie
L
Peddecord
K Michael
KM
Edwards
Christine
C
Wang
Wendy
W
Fishbein
Daniel
D
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
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine