Assessing the burden of undeliverable immunization reminder and recall notifications

Abstract

Purpose To assess the completeness and accuracy of parent contact information for the delivery of mailed reminder/recall notices using a statewide immunization information system (IIS). Methods The Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) was used to generate reminder and recall notifications for children ages 6 months–19 years in Michigan (2008–2009). Mailed notifications were classified as being undeliverable if they were returned to the local health department (LHD) by the US Postal Service. Results 20,377 notifications were mailed and 5182 (26%) were undeliverable. Undeliverable notification increased with age (reference, 6–18 months): 19–35 months (OR = 1.27), 36–71 months (OR = 3.03) and adolescents 11–19 years (OR = 4.94). Children enrolled in Medicaid (OR = 0.76) were less likely to have an undeliverable notification compared to their non-enrolled counterparts, but children who had previously received some (OR = 1.07) or all vaccinations (OR = 2.43) at an LHD were more likely to have an undeliverable notification. Conclusion Undeliverable reminder/recall notifications are most likely among adolescents. Efforts to identify alternate sources of parent contact information may be an important strategy to improve the successful delivery of reminder/recall notifications, especially for adolescents.