Tulsa County’s immunization rate for 2014 is below the state and national averages and falls well short of the state’s goal for 2020, according to records from the Oklahoma State Immunization Information System.
The rate of 62.12 percent is for Tulsa County children ages 19 months to 35 months who get the full recommended set of vaccines, which includes protection against tetanus, diptheria, measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio and pertussis among other diseases.
“First of all, it means there is room for improvement,” said Ellen Niemitalo, manager of immunizations for the Tulsa Health Department.
The Oklahoma average for 2013 was 68.4 percent and the national average for the same year was 70.4 percent, Niemitalo said.
The Oklahoma 2020 Healthy People Goal is 80 percent for the series.
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Oklahoma ranks 47th among all states for the rate of children completing the series on time, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
It is difficult to compare the 2014 county rate with previous years because the vaccination series measured changed this past year.
Convenience, transportation and cost are among the barriers for parents to getting their children vaccinated, Niemitalo said.
The strongest influence comes from health-care providers like pediatricians, she said.
Immunizations are safe and effective at preventing some dangerous and deadly diseases, she said.
The recommended vaccination schedule has been tested to make sure it is the safest and most successful for children, Niemitalo said.
“It has been studied extensively,” she said.
Cost shouldn’t be a large barrier for vaccinations because they are covered by private health insurance and children who are uninsured or underinsured can get the vaccines with no out-of-pocket cost through the Vaccines for Children Program, she said.
Kathy Sebert, coordinator of the Tulsa Area Immunization Coalition, said the group tries to educate doctors and the public about the importance of timely vaccination.
“We are working really hard to provide education to health providers in Tulsa County,” she said.
The coalition updates providers on immunization rates and outbreaks and also hosts opportunities for children to get the vaccines they need, she said.
It also provides parents of newborns with information about vaccination through packets at delivery hospitals, she said.
The coalition struggles with funding and the proper platform for its message but tries to reach as many people as possible, she said.
“We do try to reach out and educate the public,” she said.
