Strategy
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) conducted a pilot project to determine if childcare centers would be interested in using the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC), Minnesota’s immunization information system (IIS).
Challenge
Every year, licensed childcare centers are required to report the immunization status of enrolled children to ensure compliance with Minnesota’s Immunization Law. Reporting requires tallying enrolled children into specific age ranges, vaccine groups, and immunization statuses, which can be time consuming and confusing. In Minnesota, participating childcare centers can opt in to using the IIS to complete their annual immunization reporting.
Solution
In 2011, MDH conducted a pilot project to determine if childcare centers would be interested in using the MIIC, Minnesota’s IIS, to complete their annual report. That year, MDH helped 11 childcare centers complete their annual report, and the positive feedback on the new process enabled us to expand the program statewide in 2013.
Today, any interested childcare center can use MIIC to complete its annual report using a simple, four-step process:
- Create and maintain list(s) of their nerolled children within MIIC
- Submit a request to generate their annual immunization report using the list created in MIIC
- Review and verify accuracy of the report generated using MIIC data
- Complete the annual immunization report by entering the data into the reporting application
MDH developed an internal process that allows them to generate the immunization report within a few minutes for each childcare center, meaning there is capacity to expand this process. This allows one or two MDH staff members to process multiple requests within a day. This streamlined process enables them to bring the main program benefits of improved report accuracy and time saved to more childcare centers each year.
The MDH has used the annual report data to assist in vaccine-preventable disease outbreak response. For example, data from the 2023 reporting year was used to identify childcare centers with low MMR vaccination rates for prioritized outreach during their recent 2024 measles outbreak. For the childcare centers that participate in the MDH process, they have increased confidence in their reporting data because it is generated based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) schedule, which is used to assign a child’s vaccination status.
Outcome
Participation in the program has grown steadily. In 2013, 57 childcare centers completed their reporting using this process. In 2024, that number grew to 384 childcare centers. Additionally, childcare centers that participate in the MIIC process maintain a close partnership with MDH and take advantage of their secondary process to send records for children who are either missing from MIIC or have incomplete records in MIIC. This data entry not only improves the accuracy of the center’s report but also makes MIIC more accurate.
Given MDH’s capacity to expand the program, there is an opportunity to further engage with the nearly 1,700 licensed childcare centers in Minnesota to ensure accurate, timely reporting. MDH is committed to sustaining engagement and support of its partners.