Vaccination remains one of the most effective tools we have to protect children from preventable disease—yet recent data show that too many Wisconsin children are missing critical immunizations.  

To fully grasp the challenges and opportunities in increasing childhood immunization rates, it's important to consider the current landscape and recent trends in Wisconsin:

• On-time completion of infant immunizations has steadily decreased since 2020, dropping by 6% between 2020 and 2025.
• Over 900 cases of preventable diseases in Wisconsin could have been avoided in 2025 through vaccinations.
• Urban underserved communities have lower rates of infant immunizations with lowest rates of vaccination among African American children.
• Wisconsin Health Systems are focused on improving on-time immunizations and reaching an additional 1,500 infants through identifying barriers, expanding “catch-up” efforts and focusing on disproportionately impacted population

 Looking Ahead

Improving childhood immunization rates requires sustained effort, collaboration, and trust. “Parents today have so much content coming at them through social media,” says Alyson Capp, PhD, Vice President of the Connected for Kids Program at Children's Wisconsin.

“Our goal is to become that trusted voice that meets a family where they are with individualized education. WCHQ helps us share the message that vaccines are safe and effective and enables us to use data to ensure we reach the families who need us most.”

We remain committed to working alongside health systems, community partners, and policymakers to close vaccination gaps, reduce disparities, and ensure every child in Wisconsin is protected from preventable disease. While challenges persist, there are bright spots across our membership, with some organizations already closing immunization disparity gaps. We are conducting member-level deep dives on childhood immunizations, well-child checks, and related measures, and are happy to share these insights—reach out to Renee at rsutkay@wchq.org for more information.

Tools You Can Use

WCHQ’s Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Toolkit offers practical, evidence-based strategies and ready-to-use resources for primary care, pediatrics, public health, and community partners to strengthen vaccine delivery, address hesitancy, and improve immunization rates. Our website also features short immunization video documentaries that highlight real experiences and provide discussion-ready insights to support trust-building, informed consent, and culturally responsive conversations with families.

In addition, our most recent WCHQ Health Insights highlights our work in childhood immunizations. These Insights reflect our commitment to turning data into action. We encourage members to share these briefs within your networks to help spread awareness and accelerate improvements.