Norc U Chicago/CDC Vaccine Survey

[joannqn]

I'm glad I didn't answer this call. I need to think about it and see how DH and I want to answer.

 

I received a call from "Norc U Chicago" per my caller ID. A lady with a very heavy accent left a message telling me that they are with the CDC and are conduction a national survey about vaccination. They want me to call and tell them if I have any children between the ages of 12 months and 3 years living in my house.

 

Looking up the number on Google I found a few things:

 

Apparently, it is a legitimate call. They'll be asking for the vaccines with dates that appear on their shot record, demographic information, and socialeconomic information.

 

CDC Website

University of Chicago Website

 

Per the second link, I don't have to answer the questions. Per the numerous complaints I found all over the internet, these people will keep calling until we answer. Some people are complaining about them calling "10 times", for "two weeks", and before 6am or after 9pm. Apparently, they are persistent.

 

How would you deal with these calls? Would you answer the phone? Answer the phone but decline to answer? Give them everything they ask for? Does the fact that you vaccinate or not vaccinate affect your response?

Edited August 14, 2009 by joannqn

[Mommyof4ks]

I vaccinate, but IMHO it is none of their business either way. I would answer and simply decline to answer.

[Barb_]

Check your phone service. You may have the option to block the phone number.

 

Barb

 

I'm glad I didn't answer this call. I need to think about it and see how DH and I want to answer.

 

I received a call from "Norc U Chicago" per my caller ID. A lady with a very heavy accent left a message telling me that they are with the CDC and are conduction a national survey about vaccination. They want me to call and tell them if I have any children between the ages of 12 months and 3 years living in my house.

 

Looking up the number on Google I found a few things:

 

Apparently, it is a legitimate call. They'll be asking for the vaccines with dates that appear on their shot record, demographic information, and socialeconomic information.

 

CDC Website

University of Chicago Website

 

Per the second link, I don't have to answer the questions. Per the numerous complaints I found all over the internet, these people will keep calling until we answer. Some people are complaining about them calling "10 times", for "two weeks", and before 6am or after 9pm. Apparently, they are persistent.

 

How would you deal with these calls? Would you answer the phone? Answer the phone but decline to answer? Give them everything they ask for? Does the fact that you vaccinate or not vaccinate affect your response?

[Loupelou]

Totally not anyone's business! You could try being polite (no guarantees here), let them know you appreciate their call but you are not interested in participating, and please don't call again!

[Perry]

Well, I'd answer because this is the kind of work I do. But it is completely voluntary, so if you don't want to, that's fine. If you don't want to participate, just tell them and they shouldn't call you back. If you don't answer the phone, they will continue to call.

[kalanamak]

Well, I'd answer because this is the kind of work I do. But it is completely voluntary, so if you don't want to, that's fine. If you don't want to participate, just tell them and they shouldn't call you back. If you don't answer the phone, they will continue to call.

 

I love legit surveys. I wax poetic.

[Wyndie]

They called me and I answered and told them I would not answer. They didn't call back.

 

I don't vax but don't think I would have answered any differently if I did. Not the CDC's business...

[Elohcin]

Actually got a call from these people. Didn't answer the first 10 times they called because the caller id said "unknown caller". Finally after 3-4 calls one day I answered and said I wasn't interested in their survey. They asked again, I said no again and then they stopped calling. But yes, they were very persistant. I just don't think that info is any of their business.

[EmilyK]

My mother used to work at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). It is a legitimate organization and at least at the time was affiliated with the University of Chicago. It was used by professors to do research. (My mother was a computer programmer.) It is of course voluntary to answer but if you believe in furthering research, as I do, it is helpful to them.

[Wyndie]

My mother used to work at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). It is a legitimate organization and at least at the time was affiliated with the University of Chicago. It was used by professors to do research. (My mother was a computer programmer.) It is of course voluntary to answer but if you believe in furthering research, as I do, it is helpful to them.

 

I'm curious, how does it help to know ages and vax status? What do they do with that information?

[EmilyK]

I have no idea. :001_smile: There are all sorts of social science and other studies being done at U of C and elsewhere, and NORC helps design the statistical survey and then does it. It is over my head. :001_smile: Basically, they do statistical research. So I assume there's some professor who's trying to understand the demographics of who vaccinates, and who doesn't. And maybe some specifics of what type of vax.

 

They do all sort of surveys. Whatever a professor is trying to research.

 

I never worked there but I know they hired college and grad students to do the calling.

 

I'm not pressuring anyone to answer surveys. I'm just trying to explain that I know NORC is legitimate, and are as far as I know not overtly political. (I'm sure individual profs like other human beings have biases, but this organization isn't funded by a special interest group.)

[joannqn]

Per the CDC website:

 

Data on vaccination coverage is used to identify groups at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, to provide feedback coverage in an effort to increase coverage, and to evaluate the effectiveness of programs designed to increase coverage.

In other words, is this city at risk? Are kids of a certain race at risk? Are kids at certain income ranges as risk? Are our programs designed to get parents to vaccinate their children working? And how can we convince these people to vaccinate their children?

 

In my opinion, the questions they are seeking to answer are, "Which groups aren't vaccinating their children and how can we apply pressure to that group to get them to vaccinate?

Edited August 15, 2009 by joannqn

[Wyndie]

I have no idea. :001_smile: There are all sorts of social science and other studies being done at U of C and elsewhere, and NORC helps design the statistical survey and then does it. It is over my head. :001_smile: Basically, they do statistical research. So I assume there's some professor who's trying to understand the demographics of who vaccinates, and who doesn't. And maybe some specifics of what type of vax.

 

They do all sort of surveys. Whatever a professor is trying to research.

 

I never worked there but I know they hired college and grad students to do the calling.

 

I'm not pressuring anyone to answer surveys. I'm just trying to explain that I know NORC is legitimate, and are as far as I know not overtly political. (I'm sure individual profs like other human beings have biases, but this organization isn't funded by a special interest group.)

 

Thank you for explaining. I don't feel pressured by your explanation, I was genuinely curious. It's good to know what some of the research is for.

 

In my opinion, the questions they are seeking to answer are, "Which groups aren't vaccinating their children and how can we apply pressure to that group to get them to vaccinate?

 

Yeah, that's what I always figured. Which is why I didn't answer.