FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED IMMUNIZATION RATES FOR URBAN MINORITY PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

Urban, poor, preschool children are noted for having low immunization rates. To determine factors related to completion of immunization, vac cine records of 479 3-year-old children from an inner-city pediatric c linic were reviewed, Complete immunization was defined as four diphthe ria-tetanus-pertussis doses, three oral polio vaccine doses, one measl es-mumps-rubella dose, and one Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine d ose. Seventy percent of our patients were up-to-date by 2 years of age . The administration of all age-appropriate vaccines at a single visit for patients 15 months and older, the establishment of a continuous p rimary-care relationship, earlier age at first immunization, and lower birth weight were significantly associated with higher immunization l evels in our study.