Kaiser Gives $25,000 for Immunization Net

An ambitious project to create a registry that tracks the immunization records of every child in the county will receive a $25,000 donation today from Kaiser Permanente Orange County.

Mary Ann Bycott, a Kaiser administrator, will present the gift to Dr. Hugh Stallworth, Orange County director of public health and chairman of the Immunization Coalition, at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting.

The money will help fund a computer network allowing health clinics to connect to the registry. The county hopes to begin building the computer system by the end of the year and should have it running well before the turn of the century, Stallworth said. It is expected to be the first system of its kind in the state, he said.

The public health agency’s existing system tracks immunization records of children who have visited any county hospitals and clinics. The proposed registry would expand that network to include records from private and public hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics and health maintenance organizations.

Each time a child visits a participating organization, his or her records will pop up to show if inoculations are current.

The project is particularly beneficial for children younger than 5 because schools track immunizations once children begin kindergarten, Stallworth said.

About 60% of 2-year-olds in Orange County have immunizations that meet standards set by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The county is aiming for a 90% immunization rate by 2000.

Cost estimates are not yet available for the project, which will be funded from public and private sources. The project is part of a larger plan to update health agency databases.