Linking immunization registries and geographic information systems (GIS) to detect areas of low immunization coverage (PON)

Background:

The national coverage rate for the 4:3:1:3:3 immunization series exceeds 80%. However coverage remains varied at the state and local level, with some jurisdictions reporting rates below 70%. Identifying areas of low immunization coverage has traditionally involved time-consuming and costly surveys, demographic proxies or retrospective analyses.

Objectives:

GIS technology has emerged as a tool to manage and display immunization data, but a lack of large electronic immunization datasets has limited its use. Electronic immunization registries may bridge this data gap. By linking a GIS model to registry data representing more than 90% of an actual population, we sought to develop and demonstrate a rapid and accessible tool for identifying local pockets of need.

Methods:

We used the Oregon ALERT registry to collect records for 2602 patients aged 18-35 months receiving immunizations from providers in one county. These data were assigned geographic coordinates based on the patient\'s home addres