Determining accurate vaccination coverage rates for adolescents: the National Immunization Survey-Teen 2006.

Since 1994- the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has funded the National Immunization Survey (NIS)- a large telephone survey used to estimate vaccination coverage of U.S. children aged 19-35 months. The NIS is a two-phase survey that obtains vaccination receipt information from a random-digit-dialed survey- designed to identify households with eligible children- followed by a provider record check- which obtains provider-reported vaccination histories for eligible children. In 2006- the survey was expanded for the first time to include a national sample of adolescents aged 13-17 years- called the NIS-Teen. This article summarizes the methodology used in the NIS-Teen. In 2008- the NIS-Teen was expanded to collect state-specific and national-level data to determine vaccination coverage estimates. This survey provides valuable information to guide immunization programs for adolescents.