Jeb Bush
John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A.
Governor
Secretary
INTERAGENCY MEMORANDUM
DATE:
March 25, 2004
TO:
County Health Department Directors/Administrators
FROM:
?
Bonita J. Sorensen, M.D., M.B.A.
Deputy State Health Officer
SUBJECT:
?
Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Validation Assessment
School Year 2003-04
ACTION
€
REQUIRED:
INFORMATION ONLY
€
In October of each year, all public and private schools submit reports on the immunization
status of their kindergarten and seventh grade students, as required by Section 1003.22(8),
Florida Statutes. County health departments and Department of Education staff compile and
send this information to the Bureau of Immunization for tabulation. In March, the county health
departments receive the results in the annual Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Immunization
Status Report. The immunization field staff conduct an annual validation assessment of
kindergarten and seventh grade students to evaluate the accuracy of the status report results
and to determine if any improvement in immunization levels occurred since the initial
assessment. This report addresses the findings of the validation assessment.
Method:
The Bureau of Immunization randomly selected 50 schools with a kindergarten and 120 schools
with a seventh grade. The immunization field staff then audited 6,605 kindergarten student
records and 35,829 seventh grade student records in both the public and private sectors.
Attachment 1 depicts the comparison between the findings of the validation assessment and the
status assessment conducted by the schools, as well as other comparisons. Attachment 2
shows vaccine-specific immunization levels and percent of proper documentation.
Results:
•
The validation assessment revealed that 97.2 percent of kindergarten students were
appropriately immunized, a higher percentage than the 94.4 percent reported in the
Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Status Report for all kindergarten students in Florida.
•
The validation assessment revealed that 85 percent of seventh grade students were
appropriately immunized, which is a 12.4 percent improvement over the 75.6 percent
reported in the Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Status Report for all seventh grade
students in Florida.
•
The validation audit also showed 1.7 percent of students in kindergarten and 4.3 percent of
students in seventh grade had inadequate documentation of immunizations.
4052 Bald Cypress Way
•
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1701
County Health Department Directors/Administrators
€
Page Two
€
March 25, 2004
€
Concerns:
Section 1003.22, Florida Statutes, offers no provision for students to attend school without
proper documentation of immunizations. However, the validation assessment reveals that
1.7 percent of kindergarten students and 4.3 percent of seventh grade students attend school
without proper documentation. County health departments should work closely with schools to
exclude and refer these students for needed immunizations and/or documentation before they
return to school. In most instances, compliance with the requirement is readily obtained when
students are excluded from school.
The validation assessment shows that 10.5 percent of students in seventh grade, and nearly
one percent of students in kindergarten, have temporary medical exemptions and require follow-
up. County health departments should work with public and private schools to ensure that they
maintain adequate follow-up or tracking methods for students holding temporary medical
exemptions.
In conclusion, parents, healthcare providers, school health staff, and county health departments
must prioritize completion of the hepatitis B series and the other vaccines prior to entry into
kindergarten and seventh grade to guarantee adequate immunization and protection of
students. County health departments should work with local community partners to promote
implementation of the
Standards for Pediatric Immunization Practices
and use of the latest
Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule approved by the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family
Physicians, and by all health professionals involved in the immunization of children. If you have
any questions, you may call Ms. Deanna Bishop, Bureau of Immunization, at (850) 245-4342 or
SUNCOM 205-4342.
BJS/cha/dlb
Attachments
cc:
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Mary Jo Butler, Director of Intervention and Prevention Services Program
Department of Education
Lavan Dukes, Data Base Management
Department of Education
Martha Haynes, Management Information Services
Department of Education
Annie R. Neasman, R.N., M.S.
Deputy Secretary for Health
Landis K. Crockett, M.D., M.P.H., Director
Division of Disease Control
Annette Phelps, A.R.N.P., M.S.N., Director
Division of Family Health Services
Shannon B. Lease, M.S., Director
Office of Performance Improvement
Charles H. Alexander, Chief
Bureau of Immunization
County Health Department Nursing Directors
Bureau of Immunization Field Staff
