The National Immunization Survey (NIS) is the largest survey ever conducted to assess vaccination levels of young children in the U.S.  The NIS also helps track progress towards public health immunization goals.

To increase the accuracy and precision of the data collected, the NIS obtains consent to contact the immunization providers of the children in the households surveyed.  The NIS provides a consistent data set for making national and state-level estimates of vaccination levels in children ages 19-35 months, including new vaccines as they are licensed and recommended for use.

Other Surveys Related to the NIS

In addition to its focus on vaccination rates, the NIS includes the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS), which builds on the NIS sampling frame to address other issues of importance.  One of these is the Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.  For this part of the NIS, NORC conducts telephone interviews with households that have children under age 18 years with special needs, and interviews with households that have same age children without such needs.