Strategy
The DC Immunization Division aims to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases among residents, visitors, and those working or doing business in the District. The division does this by helping health care providers obtain vaccines and keeping track of vaccinations given with the District of Columbia Immunization Information System (DOCIIS).
Challenge
In 2020, the District of Columbia ranked last in the nation for kindergarten coverage of school-required vaccines, with only 78.9% of students receiving the recommended two doses of MMR. Like much of the country, DC experienced significant declines in routine pediatric immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly from 2020-2021.
Solution
In order to address this gap, DC Health modernized data exchange pathways, expanded automated reporting, and improved the accuracy and completeness of student immunization records. The Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funding improvements to data infrastructure directly strengthened DC’s ability to protect children from measles. By ensuring that immunization data was complete, timely, and actionable, the District was able to close gaps more efficiently and drive the significant rise in MMR coverage observed over the past several years.
Outcome
This coordinated effort has produced substantial progress. Comparing School Year (SY) 2020–2021 to SY 2025–2026, MMR coverage among DC kindergarteners increased from 78.9% to 94.4%, a remarkable 15.5% improvement. Even compared to the previous school year, DC achieved an additional 1.7% increase, bringing the District much closer to the 95% coverage threshold needed to prevent measles outbreaks.
These upgrades dramatically reduced the number of missing or incomplete records, which are known barriers to understanding true vaccination coverage. As data quality improved, schools and public health teams gained a clearer, real‑time view of which students were overdue for MMR vaccination. This allowed for more targeted outreach earlier interventions, and faster follow-up with families.
Supplemental Materials