INTERAGENCY MEMORANDUM
    DATE:
    April 10, 2006
    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 2005-2006
    INFORMATION ONLY
    In October of each year, all public and private schools submit reports regarding 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 conducts 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 102 schools with a kindergarten and 243
    schools with a seventh grade. The immunization field staff then audited 968 kindergarten
    student records and 2,211 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 fully
    immunized, a higher percentage than the 94.1 percent reported in the Kindergarten and
    Seventh Grade Status Report for all kindergarten students in Florida.
    •
    ?
    The validation assessment revealed that 96.2 percent of seventh grade students were fully
    immunized, which is a 4.4 percent improvement over the 91.8 percent reported in the
    Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Status Report for all seventh grade students in Florida.
    •
    ?
    The validation audit also showed 1.3 percent of students in kindergarten and 2.5 percent of
    students in seventh grade had improper or no documentation of immunizations.
    County Health Department Directors/Administrators
    Page Two
    April 10, 2006
    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
    1.3 percent of kindergarten students and 2.5 percent of seventh grade students attend school
    without proper immunization 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 0.7 percent of students in seventh grade and nearly
    0.4 percent of students in kindergarten have temporary medical exemptions and require
    follow-up. This is an improvement over past years. County health departments should work
    with public and private schools to ensure 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. Darci Lolley, Operations and Management
    Consultant I with the Bureau of Immunization, at (850) 484-5191 or SUNCOM 690-5191.
    BJS/cha/ss
    Attachments
    cc:
    ?
    Bambi J. Lockman, Chief
    Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, Department of Education
    Ginny Rudell, Data Base Management
    Department
    of
    Education
    Ron Lauver, Chief
    Division of Technology and Information Services, Department of Education
    Nancy Humbert, A.R.N.P., M.S.N.
    Deputy Secretary for Health
    Russell W. Eggert, 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
    ?

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