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Immunization information Systems (IIS) are confidential, population-based vaccination systems that collect and consolidate immunization information from vaccine providers for all children in a geopolitical area. IIS have functionalities that allow them to be used to evaluate the impact of national and local immunization recommendation and policy changes; respond to public health emergencies such as pandemics; vaccine shortages; outbreak management of vaccine preventable diseases; and vaccination coverage and vaccine effectiveness studies.
The IIS sentinel site project is a federally funded project that funds a select number of state/local IIS’s that have achieved high-quality population-based, comprehensive data to demonstrate the usefulness of IIS data and illustrate how these data can be used to support immunization program evaluation and epidemiologic activities. Sentinel Site data have been used to conduct coverage assessments, provide rapid data during pandemics, as well as evaluate IIS functionality. Data were used during public health emergencies such as the H1N1 pandemic, to assess the impact of vaccine shortages including Haemophillus influenzae type B (Hib), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, and Meningococcal Vaccine on vaccination coverage, and to support a vaccine recall. Vaccine effectiveness studies have also been conducted by several grantees, as various methodologies for assessing vaccine effectiveness using the IIS have been explored. Sentinel site data have been used to monitor changes in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) influenza recommendations. In addition, in 2012 Sentinel Site data were among the first to inform the Committee of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination rates in males, following a routine vaccination recommendation for males in October 2011. Also in 2012, Sentinel Sites were used to assess Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) uptake and patterns of 2 dose compliance. In Arizona, data were used to monitor changes in Hepatitis A vaccination coverage among children and adolescents after changes in national and state vaccination polices. Several sites have evaluated the functionality of the IIS, including an assessment of the effectiveness of reminder and recall functionality. The Sentinel Sites provide important examples of the versatility of the IIS to serve state and local health departments.