The goal of the MIIS is to give health care providers and families a tool to help ensure that all individuals are immunized based on the latest recommendations. The MIIS is the product of a skilled team of technical and public health experts who have spent the past three years building and testing the system. The team has designed the MIIS to serve the needs of electronic health record (EHR) users through electronic "data exchange", and can also support the needs of non-EHR users through direct data entry. The primary benefits of the MIIS are:
  • Shared immunization records. Records will be available across multiple sites and locations to help identify under-immunized children and pockets of unmet need;
  • Better decision making. Practices, schools, and electronic health record (EHR) systems will be able to increase on-time delivery and reduce inappropriate immunization by using advanced immunization forecasting decision support;
  • Reduced waste and increased efficiency. Vaccine administration will be monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis to optimize distribution and use;
  • Enhanced disease control. The MIIS will be integrated with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health infectious disease monitoring systems to allow the linkage of disease surveillance with the immunizations designed to prevent them;
  • Improved disaster preparedness by providing an essential infrastructure for responding to natural disasters, bioterrorism events, influenza pandemics and other emergencies.

The implementation team is actively working on an HL7 interface to exchange data with EHRs. The team is also launching a pilot for selected provider practices without electronic health records that will manually input immunization information into the MIIS starting in December of 2010. The DPH Immunization Program plans to roll out the MIIS statewide in phases beginning in 2011. Statewide roll-out will begin with those providers that are most interested and prepared to track immunizations with the MIIS in their practice.

MIIS and Birth Hospitals

Beginning January 1, 2012, information about immunizations given at birth will automatically be sent to the MIIS from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS). Providers and institutions have a legal responsibility to inform parents/guardians about the MIIS. Please review the official notification sent to Birth Hospitals about their duty to inform expecting parents about the MIIS.

MIIS Clinical Integration Tools

MIIS Quick Reference Guides

Electronic Data Exchange

The DPH IT team is hosting a weekly webinar to address any technical questions providers or vendors may have about the content or structure of HL7 message, web service interface between EHR systems and MIIS, and any other technical issues. The webinar is open to any participant and does not require registration. For details please contact MIIS Helpdesk.

Helpful Links

For more information please contact the MIIS Help Desk:
MIIShelpdesk@state.ma.us
617-983-4335

This information is provided by within the Department of Public Health.