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Immunization rates hit all-time high

President Clinton announced in a public ceremony July 23 that immunization rates among the nation's 2-year-olds were at an all-time high, but vaccine registries should be considered if even higher levels are to be achieved.

Over 90 percent of two-year-olds received the most critical recommended doses of vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type B, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The administration thanked pediatricians, federal and state officials, congressional leaders and others for their hard work. The immunization levels surpass goals set by the administration in 1993 when it launched the Childhood Immunization Initiative (CII) to: improve vaccine delivery service; reduce vaccine costs; increase community participation; improve systems for monitoring diseases and vaccination; and improve vaccines. The AAP-backed Vaccines for Children program is part of that initiative.

"We set a goal, and we're meeting it," President Clinton said during the White House event. "And all of you who have been part of it deserve a lot of the credit."