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SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FOR RELEASE: April 8, 2004
CONTACT: Dr. Lon Kightlinger, 773-3737
State’s immunization rate reaches 81 percent
PIERRE - Eighty-one percent of South Dakota’s children were appropriately immunized in a recent retrospective survey, the state Health Department reported today. The survey was released in advance of National Infant Immunization Week, April 25- May 1, an annual observance emphasizing the importance of immunizing infants to protect them from serious disease.
“South Dakota’s rate continues to move toward the goal of 90 percent coverage, which is good news, but obviously there is more work to do to make sure our children get the immunizations they need,” said Dr. Lon Kightlinger, State Epidemiologist for the department.
The immunization rate has risen steadily from just 62 percent in 1994 when tracking began. In 2002, the rate was 80 percent.
Each year the Health Department reviews immunization records of kindergarten students to see how many were appropriately immunized by the age of two. The latest survey covered the 2003-2004 class. Adequate immunization by age two is defined as 4 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, 3 doses of polio vaccine, and 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.
Even though almost 100 percent of South Dakota kids are immunized by the time they reach school, Kightlinger said the two-year old immunization rate is an important indicator. Infants and preschoolers are most vulnerable to diseases like measles, diphtheria and whopping cough.
For the 2003-2004 survey, Sanborn County had the highest immunization rate with 94 percent of its children fully immunized. Seven other counties achieved the 90 percent goal – Clark, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Hamlin, Hand, and Hanson. Another 34 counties achieved 80-89 percent vaccination coverage. Harding and Stanley Counties were the only counties that had less than 70 percent coverage.
South Dakota Retrospective Immunization Level Survey
By County, 2003-2004 School Year
(% of kindergarten students who had received 4 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine,
3 doses of polio vaccine, and 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine by the age of 2.)
STATEWIDE IMMUNIZATION LEVEL: 81% | |||||
County | Coverage level | County | Coverage level | County | Coverage level |
Aurora | 87% | Fall River | 70% | McPherson | 82% |
Beadle | 82% | Faulk | 90% | Meade | 77% |
Bennett | 70% | Grant | 84% | Mellette | 72% |
Bon Homme | 81% | Gregory | 76% | Miner | 89% |
Brookings | 84% | Haakon | 72% | Minnehaha | 80% |
Brown | 85% | Hamlin | 91% | Moody | 77% |
Brule | 81% | Hand | 91% | Pennington | 79% |
Buffalo | 73% | Hanson | 90% | Perkins | 72% |
Butte | 72% | Harding | 33% | Potter | 87% |
Campbell | 83% | Hughes | 83% | Roberts | 86% |
Charles Mix | 80% | Hutchinson | 81% | Sanborn | 94% |
Clark | 91% | Hyde | 89% | Shannon | 77% |
Clay | 78% | Jackson | 77% | Spink | 84% |
Codington | 81% | Jerauld | 85% | Stanley | 65% |
Corson | 79% | Jones | 78% | Sully | 85% |
Custer | 81% | Kingsbury | 87% | Todd | 85% |
Davison | 79% | Lake | 84% | Tripp | 78% |
Day | 73% | Lawrence | 75% | Turner | 81% |
Deuel | 84% | Lincoln | 82% | Union | 86% |
Dewey | 74% | Lyman | 89% | Walworth | 76% |
Douglas | 91% | Marshall | 82% | Yankton | 80% |
Edmunds | 92% | McCook | 89% | Ziebach | 89% |