Background
While childhood immunization rates have now reached all-time highs, with 90% or more of America's toddlers receiving the most critical doses of vaccines for children by age 2, there is still cause for concern. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, around 900,000 children under age 2 still have not received all their immunizations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Childhood Immunization Support Program (CISP) is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 1999, the CISP has worked to improve the immunization delivery system across the nation by developing an infrastructure within the Academy to support its members and providing education and resources on immunization and immunization-related issues.

The mission of the CISP is to improve the immunization delivery system for children across the nation.

CISP Goals:

1. Promote quality improvement and best immunization practices in community- and office-based primary care settings and other identified medical homes.
2. Enable pediatricians and pediatric health care professionals to communicate effectively with parents about vaccine benefits.
3. Promote system-wide improvements in the national immunization delivery system.
   

Select CISP Activities:
Maintaining a key contact network of immunization providers who are instrumental in promoting immunization delivery.

Providing technical assistance on immunization issues to pediatricians and others to communicate with parents around vaccine safety issues and the importance of immunizing children within a medical home.

Developing fact sheets, practice resources, and education materials that promote immunization best-practices.

Program Oversight, Support, and Technical Review:
AAP Immunization Workgroup: a staff-level group that meets on a monthly basis to discuss and address emergent immunization issues.

AAP Project Advisory Committee: representatives from the Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, Council on Community Pediatrics, and Section on Residents provide oversight to the grant.

AAP Task Force on Immunization: a multi-disciplinary team of AAP members and liaisons that facilitate the coordination of immunization activities across AAP departments and helps direct AAP immunization strategies and initiatives.

For information about the AAP, including its structure, governance, and other health programs, visit www.aap.org.

Funding:
Funding for the CISP is made available through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Childhood Immunization Support Program, Cooperative Agreement: U66/CCU524285).

Download CISP Fact Sheet

The AAP CISP is unable to respond to questions regarding individual medical conditions. Your pediatrician is your best resource for this information. For more information about the CISP or to be added to the CISP key contact network, please contact:

Manager, Immunization Initiatives
Department of Practice
141 Northwest Point Blvd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: 847/434-4271
Fax: 847/228-6432
E-mail: cispimmunize@aap.org