Topeka ? Kansas’ immuni-zation rate increased dramatically from 43rd in the nation to 12th, officials said Friday.

“This is good news for Kansas kids, because it shows more of them are going to grow up healthy and free from sometimes life-threatening illnesses,” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said.

The latest National Immunization Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts Kansas’ immunization rate at 12th highest in the nation in 2005, up from 43rd in 2004.

The survey said 83.8 percent of Kansas children were getting the core set of immunizations.

That is 3.8 percentage points more than the national average and 17 percentage points more than the state’s 2002 rate.

Approximately 13,000 more Kansas children received immunizations than would have if the rate had remained the same, officials said.

“Four years ago, nearly a third of Kansas kids weren’t getting the critical immunizations they need to stay healthy. That was unacceptable, and it’s why we’ve made childhood vaccinations a priority,” Sebelius said.

In 2003, Sebelius appointed a task force to find ways to increase the number of children receiving immunizations. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment put many of the group’s recommendations into practice.

Those included:

¢ Recommending health care providers accelerate childhood immunization schedules so Kansas children received their shots earlier;

¢ Increasing coordination and follow-up between WIC recipients and the state immunization program targeting high-risk counties; and

¢ Expanding the successful “Immunize and Win a Prize” program statewide. Prizes were given to children who received timely immunizations.