American School Health Association logo
7263 State Route 43 / P.O. Box 708 / Kent, Ohio  44240
T: 330/678-1601 / F: 330/678-4526 / www.ashaweb.org

April 11, 2000

Rosalyn Carter, Co-founder
Betty Bumpers, Co-founder
Every Child By Two
666 11th Street N.W.
Suite 202
Washington, D.C. 20001-4542

Dear Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Bumpers:

The American School Health Association (A.S.H.A) supports the National Education Goal of ensuring that every child enters 
school ready to learn.  In order to accomplish this goal, the A.S.H.A. endorses making comprehensive health services 
available to all young children.  Such services include regular health examinations, preventive health services, and access 
to needed medical services.  Immunization registries represent an important piece of such a comprehensive system.  Such 
registries help ensure that children receive the protection they need from preventable diseases while not receiving duplicate
 doses of vaccines because of uncertainty about their immunization history.

In a society where many families with young children change health care providers because of moves to new communities or 
changes in insurance coverage, a registry for cumulative immunization records becomes critical.  Because most states require 
proof of immunization for entry into school, registries help ensure that children’s entry into school is not delayed while 
parents search for records and that children will not receive unneeded doses of vaccines in order to attend school.  
Registries also help ensure that children are not inadvertently left unprotected because of a gap in medical care.  In 
addition, registries help school nurses who have the responsibility for ensuring compliance with immunization requirements
 for school entry.

The American School Health Association applauds the Carter/Bumpers Campaign for Early Immunization for its efforts to promote
 immunization registries in all communities in the United States.

Sincerely,

Susan F. Wooley, P.h.D., C.H.E.S.
Executive Director