Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Source: CDC BRFSS Data
About the BRFSS Summary
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a national survey conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assess behavioral risk factors, including immunizations levels, for non-institutionalized U.S. adults. This study collects data by interviewing households in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. The interviews are conducted by telephone, with households selected at random. Self-reported information about immunizations is collected by the BRFSS survey.
The BRFSS was established to provide an on-going, consistent data set for analyzing risk factors including vaccination coverage levels in the United States and to disseminate this information to interested public health partners. The BRFSS provides national, state, and regional estimates of vaccination coverage, including new vaccines as they are licensed and recommended for use. It also helps track progress towards the Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) goals.
The BRFSS includes questions from the CDC that are asked in all 50 states and questions that are state-generated and asked only in specific states. For several years, Texas has chosen to ask additional vaccination coverage questions that were not asked nationally.
Vaccines Included
The following vaccine doses were measured in the 2018 BRFSS:
- ≥1 dose of Influenza (Flu) vaccine in the past 12 monthsa
- ≥1 dose of any Pneumococcal (also known as Pneumonia) vaccine
- ≥1 dose of Shingles (also known as Zoster) vaccine
- ≥1 dose of any Tetanus-containing vaccine since 2005
- ≥1 dose of any Meningococcal vaccine
- ≥1 dose of Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV Initiation)
- Completed 3-dose series HPV vaccine (HPV Completion), among those who reported receiving ≥1 dose
- ≥1 dose of Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB Initiation)
- Completed 3-dose series Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB Completion), among those who reported receiving ≥1 dose
a NIS-Flu also uses BRFSS survey results and other data sources to estimate adult influenza vaccination coverage rates for adults. Additional details for adult influenza coverage in Texas can be found on the DSHS NIS-Flu webpage.