Reminder: Childhood and adolescent immunizations

Childhood immunizations

Each year, the NCQA requires that we remind providers to help their patients get the right immunizations. Here are the guidelines for providing childhood and adolescent immunizations and for earning a PIP or CPC+ incentive.

This measure assesses the percentage of children who became 2 years old during the measurement year and who had received these vaccinations on or before 2 years of age:

• Four diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTAP)
• Three polio (IPV)
• One measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Three H influenza type B (HiB)
• Three hepatitis B (HepB)
• One chicken pox (VZV)
• Four doses of pneumococcal conjugate (PCV)
• One hepatitis A (HepA)
• Two or three rotavirus (RV) 
•  Two influenza (flu) vaccines

This measure follows the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidelines for immunizations.

Even preventing "mild" diseases saves hundreds of lost school days and work days, and millions of dollars. Childhood immunizations and vaccines are a proven way to help prevent serious illnesses such as polio, tetanus and hepatitis. Vaccines will help a child stay healthy and avoid the potentially harmful effects of childhood diseases like mumps and measles.

Adolescent immunizations

This measure assesses the percentage of adolescents 13 years of age during the measurement year who received the following vaccinations on or before their 13th birthday:

• One dose of meningococcal vaccine and one tetanus
• Diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine
• Completed the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series

This measure follows the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidelines for immunizations.

These vaccines are available for adolescents to prevent them from acquiring serious diseases and help protect against disease in populations that lack immunity, such as infants, the elderly and individuals with chronic conditions. Healthy People 2020, a national initiative to measure and improve public health, has established objectives to increase vaccination coverage for adolescents, including the Tdap, meningococcal and HPV vaccines.

Web resources

• Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger
• Vaccines That Might Be Indicated for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger
• Catch-up Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 4 Months Through 18 Years Who Start Late

Incentives for the Childhood and Adolescent Immunizations measure

For additional information see the Priority Health PCP Incentive Program or CPC+ Incentive Program.

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