MIIC News Flash - Nov. 2018

MDH logo for the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC)

MIIC News Flash

Pictures of medical professionals using computer and vaccinating

View this as a webpage

November 13, 2018

Welcome to the first MIIC News Flash

Welcome to the first edition of the MIIC News Flash! The MIIC News Flash is a quarterly e-newsletter for all active MIIC users. It highlights recent changes to MIIC, key MIIC data and trends, upcoming conference and training opportunities where you can connect with MIIC staff, useful MIIC tips and resources, and other important information to support your MIIC participation.

MIIC is constantly changing to better support immunization practice, monitoring, and improvement activities in Minnesota. You can rely on the MIIC News Flash to keep you updated on these changes and help you make the best use of MIIC. Thank you for reading!

MIIC application changes

Annual MIIC User Agreement

As of summer 2018, all MIIC users must annually review and accept an individual MIIC User Agreement. This agreement reminds users of the terms and conditions for MIIC security and data use, including:

  • Allowable uses of MIIC information.
  • MIIC participation standards.
  • Data privacy and security terms.

This agreement has similar security terms as the organization-level data use agreement (DUA) that participating organizations submit every three years. However, most users do not see the DUA because organization administrators complete it. The individual user agreement ensures all users are aware of the terms and conditions for using MIIC.

Adolescent Assessment Summary Report includes catch-up vaccines

The Adolescent Assessment Summary Report now includes childhood vaccines that adolescents can get on a catch-up schedule (hepatitis A, hepatitis B, varicella, MMR, and polio). You can run this report to assess rates for Tdap, HPV, MCV4, and these catch-up vaccines among patients ages 13 through 17 years. The report can help you identify areas for improvement and track rates over time. See Immunization Assessment for assistance running adolescent assessment reports.


MIIC data and statistics

Current immunization coverage rates

MIIC is a useful resource for monitoring immunization coverage. MDH calculates coverage rates by comparing the number of people in MIIC who have received a vaccine with the total number of people in MIIC for a select population.

As of October 2018:

  • 68 percent of Minnesota children ages 24-35 months completed the childhood immunization series by age 24 months.
  • 59 percent of Minnesota adolescents ages 13-17 years received at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine.
  • 40 percent of Minnesota adolescents ages 13-17 years completed the HPV vaccine series.
  • 55 percent of Minnesota adults ages 65 years and older received at least 1 dose of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV).
  • 61 percent of Minnesota adults ages 65 years and older received at least 1 dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).
Bar chart of select immunization coverage rates.


Interested in more immunization coverage rates? Find childhood immunization coverage rates for the state and individual counties using the interactive maps and tables at Minnesota Public Health Data Access Portal: Immunizations. Rates are also available by ZIP code for the Twin Cities Metro area.

To find rates for your patient population, run MIIC's user-friendly Immunization Assessment reports. If you're looking for strategies to increase immunization rates, contact our immunization quality improvement team for a consultation at health.afix.mailbox@state.mn.us.


Immunization coverage awards

At the recent Got Your Shots? Immunization Conference, MDH used MIIC immunization rates from Oct. 16, 2018, to recognize organizations doing outstanding work to close vaccination gaps, particularly around HPV vaccination.

HPV Vaccination Initiation Awards

These awards recognize clinics that had the top HPV initiation rate for 13-year-olds associated with their practice in MIIC. Clinics were split into three categories based on the size of their 13-year-old population.

Small clinic winners:

  • Wayzata Children’s Clinic – Maple Grove, 82 percent initiation.
  • Avera Marshall Specialty Clinic, 81 percent initiation.

Medium clinic winners:

  • Sanford Clinic – Moorhead Pediatric Department, 83 percent initiation.
  • Southlake Pediatrics – Eden Prairie, 82 percent initiation.

Large clinic winners:

  • Children’s Hospital and Clinics – St. Paul Pediatric Clinic, 82 percent initiation.
  • HealthPartners Midway Clinic, 82 percent initiation.

Most Improved HPV Vaccination Initiation Awards

These awards recognize clinics that had the biggest jump in HPV initiation rates from 2017 to 2018 for 13-year-olds associated with their practice in MIIC.

Small clinic winner:

  • North Clinic – Plymouth, 30 percentage point improvement in HPV initiation from 35 percent to 65 percent.

Medium clinic winner:

  • Allina Medical Clinic – Blaine, 17 percentage point improvement in HPV initiation from 49 percent to 66 percent.

Large clinic winner:

  • Pediatric Services – St. Louis Park, 42 percentage point improvement in HPV initiation from 7 percent to 49 percent.

MDH also recognized clinics and counties that achieved high immunization rates for the childhood series among children ages 24-35 months. Find them listed on the 2018 Immunization Honor Roll at Immunization Awards. Congratulations to all 2018 honorees!


Featured MIIC participant

Image of Robin Siebenhaler

Robin’s Nest Daycare, Hastings, MN

MIIC can make it easy for child care centers to ensure the children in their care are up to date on immunizations and compliant with the Child Care Immunization Law in Minnesota. Robin Siebenhaler, director of Robin’s Nest Daycare in Hastings, uses MIIC to save parents the hassle of having to find and submit immunization records to her center. “Having MIIC available for looking up records is a great way for our center staff to give a good professional impression to our families and build trust in our center,” said Ms. Siebenhaler. Ms. Siebenhaler also uses MIIC's list function and printable immunization records to support her routine tracking and paperwork, as well as to remind parents of upcoming immunizations when needed. She added, “MIIC helps us all make sure that our kids are up to date on shots and that our records are in good shape.” Way to go, Robin's Nest Daycare!


MIIC tips

Set up a bidirectional interface with MIIC

Did you know that MIIC has been able to support bidirectional interfaces since 2009? Bidirectional interfaces allow software systems at organizations across the state to not only send information to MIIC, but also to get vaccine histories, vaccine forecasting, and demographic information from MIIC.

Check in with your software vendor to see if this is something they can support for your organization. See our Exchange Data with MIIC fact sheet and other resources at Submitting and Exchanging Data with MIIC to learn more.

View school immunization reporting webinars

The 2017 and 2018 School Immunization Reporting Webinars are posted at School Health Personnel Immunization and Disease Reporting. View these webinars for important information and step-by-step demonstrations on how to use MIIC to support school immunization reporting. 

Don't miss these deadlines

  • Hospitals and nursing homes can register for the 2018-2019 FluSafe program through Nov. 30, 2018. FluSafe participants use MIIC to track health care personnel influenza immunizations and get recognized for high immunization rates and immunization improvement efforts at the end of the season.
  • Child cares that plan to use MIIC to complete their annual immunization report must request their report from the MIIC Help Desk by Nov. 23, 2018. Find the Using MIIC to Complete the Child Care Immunization Report checklist and other MIIC resources that support child care reporting at MIIC and Child Care Resources.

Upcoming MIIC exhibits

Connect with MIIC staff exhibiting at these upcoming conferences: 

Need help?