Rates in 19-to-35-month-olds for many routine vaccines approached or exceeded the 90% benchmark set in the Healthy People 2010 initiative, a CDC report said.

The report, in the Sept. 17 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also noted vaccination rates remained stable overall that year from 2008, with the percentage of those without any vaccinations staying at a low 0.6%.

Coverage remained at, above, or just below the initiative average for:

Polio, at 92.8% (down from 93.6 in 2008)

Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), at 90% (down from 92.1% in 2008)

Hepatitis B, at 92.4% (down from 93.5% in 2008)

Varicella, at 89.6% (down from 90.7 in 2008)

Vaccination rates rose for single-dose hepatitis B vaccine to 60.8% from 55.3%, hepatitis A to 46.6% from 40.4%, and four or greater doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to 80.4% from 80.1%. PCV dosing for three or more injections dropped from 92.8% in 2008 to 92.6% in 2009.

The rotavirus vaccine was new to the list, debuting at 43.9% nationally, which is a similar acceptance rate to other new vaccines, the report said.

The survey also found numbers of children vaccinated for Haemophilus influenzae B dropped from 90% in 2008 to 83.6% in 2009 due to a drug shortage that has since ended, the study said.

Data for the survey was gathered through quarterly, random-digit-dialed phone numbers in 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as 17,313 provider-reported vaccination records.

Phone survey response rates were 63.9%. Records were available for 70.7% of those who had completed the survey.

The study broke down vaccination rates by vaccine type, state and some local regions, ethnicity, and poverty level.

In terms of income, 3.8% more children below the poverty level were vaccinated for hepatitis B at birth than those above poverty, but inoculation with PCV in four or more doses and rotavirus vaccine in patients below the poverty level was 8.4% and 9.4% less, respectively, than in children above the poverty level.

The survey noted data estimates were limited by nonresponders and homes without telephones, possible underestimates of vaccination in healthcare provider reports, and the small sample size of localized data.