CDC National Immunization Survey (I was "randomly" selected) - Page 3

[Otto]

Originally Posted by NaturalBirthGoddes

I don't think a parent has such a faulty memory as to if their child is vaccinated or not. Most parents know if their child is fully vaccinated, selectively vaccinated or unvaccinated. So, needing the medical records from the doctor seems like hogwash

If you read back in the methodology documentation, most parents proved not to have such a great memory about the details, which is why the HCP follow-up was introduced in 1995.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

They are trying to gather info on why we don't vax and the doctors that allow it. The information is to update their propaganda campaigns.

Which is why they cleverly hatched this nefarious scheme 16 years ago, I imagine.

[SunshineJ]

I could present a few conspiracy theories as to why they want this information, and while there may even be a grain of truth to one or two, but I don't even need to on this. All I will say is that from what I've read through of the new national health plan, this type of general information is something they should be able to easily request from various providers if I recall correctly. There is no reason for names and child's dr. to be requested. I don't think that most people expect the government to be waiting for them with needles to immunize their children if they complete this survey, but they can use that information to make life more difficult for non-vaxxing parents overall. Sure, they could do something to target specific families, but I rather doubt that would happen - however they can certainly try to tighten exemption laws and innudate specifically targeted areas with more pro-vax propaganda including that targeted at having the concerned family and friends try to help "protect" the children they love by convincing the parents that vaxxing is the right thing to do (seen a touch of that, it gets ugly). Even if we fully vaxxed I still wouldn't provide my kids names and data.

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by Otto

Which is why they cleverly hatched this nefarious scheme 16 years ago, I imagine.

The phone surveys or the registries?

[quietmim]

I worked on this study as a college student. I can't comment on what the govt is doing with this info, nor would I be inclined to participate if they called me today.

But, the phone numbers are selected at random. It is a computer program they called a "random digit dialer." I would sometimes spend four hours listening to the phone ring because I was getting pay phones and fax machines. I would frequently get businesses and people who have no children. The worst was people who would say they had children in the age range and then give outrageous answers to my questions to mess with me. I very rarely completed a study. Imagine, it required that the number actally be a residence, then that had children in a narrow age range, then that they wanted to or had time to have a 45 minute conversation with me, then that they would be willing to give me their children's name and their provider information. The provider information was supposedly to improve accuracy. I am not sure why they couldn't get the info from providers without names attached. Could it be that not everyone has access or utilizes primary health care?

And now that I am thinking back to what must be one of the most mind-numbing jobs out there (counting rings for hours, the script that we absolutely could not deviate from), I want to mention the refusal converters.
If people wouldn't say whether they had children, or if they wouldn't participate, one of the most experienced interviewers, a refusal converter, would keep calling the number back. This is, of course, no longer random. So, if your number happens to come up they want to establish whether you qualify or not. This was very important we were told, for statistical reasons. And someone would keep calling you back until you said the words "do not call me again!"

Oh, and eight years later, I still can recite the opening sequence where we introduced ourself, explained the study, and asked if you had children in the age range. It is so strange to think about it now.

[fairymom]

Wow I learn something new here everyday....I'd never have thought this could happen.

My only thought- WHY is a government agency asking for personal info- OVER the phone- when there's so many warnings NOT to do this that they put out there each and every year, to help us LEARN how to protect our identities from theifs?! (The things that make me go HMMMM....)

[EFmom]

Refusal converter. Now there's a job title that wouldn't have occurred to me.

[13Sandals]

Originally Posted by heathergirl67

.....An attitude of, "It's none of your business" is, IMO, much less paranoid-sounding than, "You only want to know this so that you can kidnap my kids and vaccinate them."

Wow, its soooo much easier to dismiss opposing points of view when you paint them as paranoid wackos!




Good luck with that random digit dialer everyone!!!

[13Sandals]

Originally Posted by 13Sandals
......if my insurance company can send me reminders saying not all members of my family are up-to-date on vaccines - then I'm pretty sure the CDC can get vaccine rate coverage for most zipcodes in America without 'random', time-wasting phone surveys.

Originally Posted by Otto

I don't really see any logical connection between the two.

Actually, if you check out the WHO web site, the primary source for vaccination rate coverage is administrative reports "National coverage rates are usually based on administrative data collected during vaccination sessions."

[JollyGG]

We do vaccinate. Our household has been selected twice for the survey. The first time my daughter was in the age range of interest. The second time I had no kids in the age range they were interested in.

They asked questions about when she vaccines my daughter had and when she received them, they also asked questions about how I arrived at decisions regarding vaccines.. They asked to follow up with my doctors office for my daughters vaccine record. Up until giving permission to contact her physician I was free to identify my DD however I chose. We simply used an initial for most of the interview. I did decide to allow them to contact her doctor and gave a limited permission for medical records (vaccine records only) and only at that time did I give her name. Name, address, ect. was not required for participation in the study at all. It was only required if you gave permission to contact the child's doctor.

If I didn't vaccinate I probably would have left the only information about my child as an initial as which vaccinations my child received when is pretty simple when they haven't ever gotten any and physician follow up would be unnecessary.

[heathergirl67]

Originally Posted by 13Sandals

Wow, its soooo much easier to dismiss opposing points of view when you paint them as paranoid wackos!




Good luck with that random digit dialer everyone!!!

I was using an extreme example to show the difference between paranoid thinking and reasonable thinking. Sorry, no evil intention to diss anyone in that statment.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

The phone surveys or the registries?

The former, the NIS.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by 13Sandals

Actually, if you check out the WHO web site, the primary source for vaccination rate coverage is administrative reports "National coverage rates are usually based on administrative data collected during vaccination sessions."

This has nothing to do with your insurance company.

[foodymama]

Wow! I can't believe this thread is still going. It's great that all of this discussion is happening! I just wanted to update and let everyone know that the CDC did call this morning and I politely told them that I would prefer not finishing the survey and to not call back again.

After reading the other posts I wanted to add that if they wouldn't be so underhanded about the way they went about the survey maybe I would be less wary of them. But they started off with just basic anonymous questions and even though we were talking about DD they only required an initial to refer to her. But then you get half way through and they start requesting personal information about our Dr.'s name and address and then they wanted DD's name and birthday. They sucked me in at the beginning of the survey with basic questions which led me to believe the whole thing would be that way and then they started asking the personal stuff. Just going about the survey in that manner makes me suspicious.

[quietmim]

When I was working on this survey I DREADED the time when I would have to say now I need your child's name, doc, ect.. It truly does seem underhanded that they start by asking for an initial to identify the child, and then after a half an hour ask for all of their personal information.

[13Sandals]

Originally Posted by Otto

This has nothing to do with your insurance company.

Says who? It doesn't specify whether the information is gained from direct doctor practice reporting or insurance company reports...however, the point was that through doctors offices and insurance companies, the vaccination rates ARE available to the CDC. If not, they should read the papers. The headlines the past couple of days are shouting that the vaccination rates for insured under 2's have fallen.

The report is based on data from more than 1,000 health plans covering 118 million Americans, the NCQA says.

[lauraguaschino]

I received the same phone call and after refusing to participate they sent me a letter with $5.00 enclosed and the promise of $10.00 more if i completed the survey. We haven't vaccinated our  7 month old son at all yet ( still aren't sure if we will selectively do so or not). It totally creeped me out that they offered money - do i really think the american government can afford to send each new parent $15 to find out if they've vaccinated or not? if it really was for statistical purposes they can access my doctor's records anonymously, right? Our pediatrician is not pro non-vac so i wondered if she "turned us in"......

[alegna]

I don't think they can legally look at medical files without your consent.

-Angela

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by alegna 

I don't think they can legally look at medical files without your consent.

-Angela

Medical records can be used for research purposes if identifying information is not used.

[Fyrestorm]

They don't need medical records...they have every state's vaccine registry and brith records (except in the case of adoptions in some states) are public record.  Compare and they have all the answers thay need including the doctors who administered the vaccines.  No need for phome calls and paying all those people.  They just need a few clerks to who can make check marks (if that's really the info they're looking for.