FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             CONTACT:  Rich Harris, 860-524-7313

September 26, 2010                                                                    rich.harris@ct.gov

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that Connecticut remains one of the top states in the nation for immunizing young children against polio, measles, mumps and other preventable diseases.

            The Governor said the most recent report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Connecticut No. 6 in the nation, with a coverage rate of 76 percent for children younger than 3 years old. Last year, the state ranked No. 11.

            “The top priority of parents is the health and safety of their children – and early vaccines provide that protection and peace of mind,” Governor Rell said. “We have a very effective immunization program in Connecticut that includes a broad network of health-care providers and awareness programs. These childhood vaccines are vitally important to guard against diseases that are easily preventable.”

            In 2009, a total of 970,000 doses of public sector pediatric and adolescent vaccines were distributed to health care providers participating in the Connecticut Vaccines for Children program. More than 620 health care providers participate in the program. These providers include pediatricians, family physicians, community health centers, hospitals, school-based clinics and local health departments.

            DPH officials say a portion of the 2 million doses of H1N1 vaccines distributed in the state last year was also administered through the CT Vaccines for Children program.

            Department of Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H. attributed Connecticut’s ranking to the department’s Immunization Program and its collaborative efforts over the past years with CDC, state provider and community-based organizations, including the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Connecticut Commission On Children, and local health departments.

            The 2009 National Immunization Survey (NIS) of more than 17,000 households looked at vaccination of children born between January 2006 and July 2008 and found that vaccine coverage against poliovirus; measles, mumps, and rubella; hepatitis B and varicella (chickenpox), remained relatively stable and near or above the national Healthy People 2010 goal of 90 percent or higher.

            For additional information, visit the Department of Public Health website at www.dph.state.ct.us.

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