NEWS RELEASE
August 29, 1996

Michigan Children's Immunization Registry Agreements Reached

Agreements have been reached with six contract agencies to implement the Michigan Children's Immunization Registry, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) announced today.

"With implementation of these agreements, Michigan becomes one of the first states in the nation to build a statewide registry that is available to all public and private providers," said Governor John Engler. "The Michigan Children's Immunization Registry will help us reach and maintain our goal, which is 100% immunization among two-year-olds."

The registry will be a locally-accessed network of regional systems that will cover the entire state, said MDCH Director James K. Haveman, Jr. Each arm of the network will maintain a database of information that will give public and private providers a child's vaccination history so they can determine what immunizations must still be delivered. It will also enable tracking and recall, a function that notifies parents that their child is due for another immunization so they can schedule an appointment to have it completed.

The first agreement will be implemented in collaboration with the Southeastern Michigan Health Association (SEMHA). Covering an estimated 50% of Michigan children under the age of two, the SEMHA system includes the City of Detroit and the counties of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston, and St. Clair. The regional system will begin operating by March of 1997, perhaps as early as January. The five other regional systems will begin operating soon after.

Each of the regional contract agencies will receive $200,000 to help develop registry elements:

• Develop regional coalitions of immunization providers

• Determine options for supporting the regional registry computer system

• Maintain community health assessment and reporting activities

• Define governance and operational functions

• Promote the registry to public and private providers
  
  

MDCH Will:

• Install regional servers and software

• Implement connectivity options, including computer and telephone access

• Develop interface software for public and private agencies

• Populate regional server databases with birth record information.

By the time they enter school, more than 95% of all Michigan children are in compliance with immunization requirements. Latest figures available, from 1994-1995, show that 64% of children under two are immunized. Early childhood immunizations became a special focus after a national measles epidemic in the late 80s and early 90s. Full immunization before the age of two is important because many diseases are more serious before age two and often pose a higher risk of mortality.

Other initiatives are underway in collaboration with the Michigan Immunization Partnership, a group of more than 60 organizations representing professional medical societies, public and private providers, business, industry, and other interested parties. The initiatives include:

• Expanded capacity to help providers, both public and private, evaluate their office immunization practices to see where improvements should be made. This is a partnership of the Alliance for Immunization in Michigan, the Michigan Nurses Association, MDCH, and other groups.
  
• Initiation of a system that will allow WIC clinics to determine the current status of immunization for the 140,000 children under two whom they serve each year. If a child's immunizations are not current, a WIC clinic nurse may administer a needed vaccination at that visit or the child may be referred to another provider. Pilot programs have been implemented in Oakland, Muskegon, Calhoun, Berrien, Cass and VanBuren counties.
  
• Implementation of an organized structure of appropriate continuing medical education programs and services that focus on immunization. This program is being developed in partnership with the Michigan State Medical Society, the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, MDCH, and other state and local medical organizations.
  
• Development of a program that prepares volunteers to educate parents and others about the importance of having babies fully immunized. The program will be a partnership of the MSU Cooperative Extension Service and MDCH.
  
• A public information campaign to encourage parents to check with their physician at each visit to make sure their baby's immunizations are up to date. The campaign is a collaborative project of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the Michigan Association of Local Public Health, the state-wide network of Blue Care Network HMOs, General Motors, Health Plus and MDCH.
  
• Evaluation of current immunization curricula in medical and nursing education programs at Michigan universities, with the expectation that any needed revisions will be made. This is a joint project of MDCH, MSU and Ferris State University in collaboration with the deans of professional health schools at universities in Michigan.
  

Michigan will spend approximately $25 million on immunization this year through these initiatives, other local programs, and vaccine acquisition and distribution.

The following is a list of the six contract agencies, the counties they cover, and a local contact person.

Region One: Contract Agency: Southeastern Michigan Health Association
Contact: Tom Cieszynski, Executive Director, SEMHA 313-873-6500

City of Detroit

Counties:

• Wayne
• Oakland
• Macomb
• Monroe
• Washtenaw
• Livingston
• St. Clair
  

Region Two: Contract Agency: Kalamazoo County Human Services Department
Contact: Gillian Stoltman, PhD 616-373-5262

Counties:

• Muskegon
• Ottawa
• Kent
• Ionia
• Allegan
• Van Buren
• Kalamazoo
• Calhoun
• Jackson
• Berrien
• Cass
• St. Joseph
• Branch
• Hillsdale
• Lenawee
  

Region Three: Contract Agency: Mid-Michigan District Health Department
Contact: Joseph Latoff 517-831-5203

Counties:

• Montcalm
• Gratiot
• Clinton
• Barry
• Eaton
• Ingham
  

Region Four: Contract Agency: Genesee County Health Department
Contact: Mel Trueblood 810-257-3194

Counties:

• Midland
• Bay
• Huron
• Saginaw
• Tuscola
• Sanilac
• Shiawassee
• Genesee
• Lapeer
  

Region Five: Contract Agency: District Health Department #5
Contact: David Nolan, MD 616-592-0130

Counties:

• Emmet
• Charlevoix
• Cheboygan
• Presque Isle
• Leelanau
• Antrim
• Otsego
• Montmorency
• Alpena
• Benzie
• Grand Traverse
• Kalkaska
• Crawford
• Oscoda
• Alcona
• Manistee
• Wexford
• Missaukee
• Roscommon
• Ogemaw
• Iosco
• Mason
• Lake
• Osceola
• Clare
• Gladwin
• Arenac
• Oceana
• Newaygo
• Mecosta
• Isabella
  

Region #6: Contract Agency: Delta-Menominee District Health Department
Contact: Douglas Peterson 906-786-4111

Counties:

• Gogebic
• Ontonagon
• Houghton
• Keweenaw
• Iron
• Baraga
• Dickinson
• Marquette
• Menominee
• Delta
• Alger
• Schoolcraft
• Mackinac
• Luce
• Chippewa