Factors affecting complete and timely childhood immunization coverage in Sindh, Pakistan; A secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data

Parent and family characteristics associated with reported pediatric influenza vaccination in a sample of Canadian digital vaccination platform users. An exploratory, cross-sectional study in the 2018-2019 influenza season

Seasonal vaccination remains one of the best interventions to prevent morbidity and mortality from influenza in children. Understanding the characteristics of parents who vaccinate their children can inform communication strategies to encourage immunization. Using a cross-sectional study, we described parental characteristics of people who reported vaccinating their children against influenza during 2018/2019 in a cohort of Canadian digital immunization record users. Data was collected from a free, Pan-Canadian digital vaccination tool, CANImmunize. Eligible accounts contained at least one parental and one "child/dependent" record. Each parental characteristic (gender, age, family size, etc) was tested for association with pediatric influenza vaccination, and a multivariate logistic regression model was fit. A total of 6,801 CANImmunize accounts met inclusion criteria. After collapsing the dataset, the final sample contained 11,381 unique dyads. Influenza vaccination was reported for 32.3% of the children and 42.0% of the parents. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, parents receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine were most strongly associated with reporting pediatric influenza vaccination (OR 17.05, 95% CI 15.08, 19.28). Having a larger family size and fewer transactions during the study period was associated with not reporting pediatric influenza vaccination. While there are several limitations to this large-scale study, these results can help inform future research in the area. Digital technologies may provide a unique and valuable source of vaccine coverage data and to explore associations between individual characteristics and immunization behavior. Policy makers considering digital messaging may want to tailor their efforts based on parental characteristics to further improve pediatric seasonal influenza vaccine uptake.

The status of immunization program and challenges in Ethiopia: A mixed method study

Introduction

Immunization helps reduce morbidity and mortality attributable to severe vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses. However, vaccination coverage and the quality of immunization data remain challenging in Ethiopia. This has led to poor planning, suboptimal vaccination coverage, and the resurgence of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in under-immunized pocket areas. The problem is further compounded by the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption of the health information system due to recurrent conflict. This study assessed the current status of the immunization service and its challenges in Ethiopia.

Methods

A mixed-methods study was conducted in three regions of Ethiopia from 21 to 31 May, 2023. A survey of administrative reports was done in a total of 69 health facilities in 14 woredas (districts). Nine KIIs were conducted at a district level among immunization coordinators selected from three regions to explore the challenges of the immunization program. Linear regression and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the qualitative data. The findings from the qualitative data were triangulated to supplement the quantitative results.

Result

Two-thirds (66.4%) of the children were fully vaccinated, having received all vaccines, including the first dose of the MCV1, by 12 months of age, as reported through administrative reports collected from health facility records. Catchment area population size and region were significantly associated with the number of fully immunized children (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). The vaccination dropout rates of the first to third dose of pentavalent vaccine and the first dose of pentavalent vaccine to the first dose of MCV1 were 8.6% and 7.4%, respectively. A considerable proportion of health facilities lack accurate data to calculate vaccination coverage, while most of them lack accurate data for dropout rates. Longer waiting time, interruptions in vaccine supply or shortage, inaccessibility of health facilities, internal conflict and displacement, power interruption and refrigerator breakdown, poor counseling practice, and caretakers' lack of awareness, fear of side effects, and forgetfulness were the reasons for the dropout rate and low coverage. The result also showed that internal conflict and displacement have significantly affected immunization coverage, with the worst effects seen on the most marginalized populations.

Conclusion

The study revealed low vaccination coverage, a high dropout rate, and poor quality of immunization data. Access and vaccination coverage among marginalized community groups (e.g., orphans and street children) were also low. Hence, interventions to address organizational, behavioral, technical, and contextual (conflict and the resulting internal displacement) bottlenecks affecting the immunization program should be addressed.

Individual and community-level determinants of pentavalent vaccination dropouts among under-five children in the sub-Saharan African countries: A multilevel analysis of the recent demographic and health survey

Background

Globally, each year, about 3 million deaths among children are prevented by pentavalent vaccinations. However, in developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, pentavalent vaccination dropout rates are not well reported. Therefore, this study aimed to assess pentavalent vaccination dropout rates and their determinants among under-five children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

Data from the recent Demographic and Health Surveys in 33 Sub-Saharan African countries were used for analysis. The study used a total of 358,529 under-five children. The determinants of pentavalent vaccination dropout were determined using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model. Significant factors associated with pentavalent vaccination dropout were declared significant at p-values < 0.05. A model with the lowest deviance and highest logliklihood ratio was selected as the best-fit model.

Results

In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in five under-five children had pentavalent vaccination dropout rates. Factors such as Age (AOR = 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.51, 1.72), educational level (AOR = 1.30, 95 % CI: 1.22, 1.40), place of delivery (AOR = 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.57, 1.73), ANC visits (AOR = 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.23, 1.45), postnatal check-up (AOR = 1.19, 95 % CI: 1.14, 1.25), wealth status (AOR = 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.04, 1.15), distance to health facility (AOR = 1.08, 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.13), media exposure (AOR = 1.12, 95 % 1.15), and geographical region (AOR = 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.49, 1.72) had higher odds of pentavalent vaccination dropouts.

Conclusions

Pentavalent vaccination dropout rates in sub-Saharan Africa among under-five children were high. Both individual and community-level variables were determinants of pentavalent vaccination dropout rates. Government and ministry of health in Sub-Saharan Africa should give attention to those mothers of under-five children who reported distance as a big problem in accessing health facilities and to women who do not utilise antenatal and postnatal check-ups while designing policies and strategies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Social determinants of low uptake of childhood vaccination in high-risk squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan - A step towards addressing vaccine inequity in urban slums

Background

Routine vaccination has remained historically low in major urban pockets of Pakistan, and now lags behind rural vaccination rates. Grossly insufficient publicly funded primary healthcare infrastructure, heterogeneous mix of providers and multi-ethnicity of populations pose challenges in the delivery of essential health services. This paper ascertains factors associated with uptake of routine childhood vaccination, using Pentavalent-3 vaccine, as a proxy indicator for completion of age-appropriate vaccines in urban slums of Karachi, at high risk of Polio and vaccine preventable disease outbreaks.

Methods

Data was drawn from baseline assessment of an urban immunization delivery pilot project in urban slums of Karachi, Pakistan. The study sample comprised of 2,097 households with children aged 4-12 months, sampled through a cross-sectional cluster survey, applying a structured questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between Penta-3 vaccination, as the outcome variable, and predictor variables including socio-demographic characteristics and healthcare access factors.

Results

The findings showed that the likelihood of being immunized with Penta-3 was higher for non-Pashtun ethnicity [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.69; 95% CI 1.33-2.14], children of educated mothers, secondary or higher [aOR 2.95, 95% CI 2.34-3.71], and those whose fathers were formally employed (aOR 1.53; 95% CI 1.19-1.97). No association was seen by gender of child [aOR 0.89; 95% CI 0.73-1.08], and place of new born delivery [aOR 1.01; 95% CI 0.83-1.24].

Conclusion

Pockets of critically low under-vaccinations within the urban slums of Karachi are associated with Pashtun ethnicity, distance to the vaccination centre, lack of mothers' education and lack of stable family income as in the case of unemployed and daily wage-earning fathers. Recognition of these factors is required in designing contextually appropriate strategies to address vaccine inequity in urban settings.

High prevalence of zero-dose children in underserved and special setting populations in Ethiopia using a generalize estimating equation and concentration index analysis

BACKGROUND

Globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 report, more than 14.3 million children in low- and middle-income countries, primarily in Africa and South-East Asia, are not receiving any vaccinations. Ethiopia is one of the top ten countries contributing to the global number of zero-dose children.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of zero-dose children and associated factors in underserved populations of Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional vaccine coverage survey was conducted in June 2022. The study participants were mothers of children aged 12-35 months. Data were collected using the CommCare application system and later analysed using Stata version 17. Vaccination coverage was estimated using a weighted analysis approach. A generalized estimating equation model was fitted to determine the predictors of zero-dose children. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and a p-value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of zero-dose children in the study settings was 33.7% (95% CI: 34.9%, 75.7%). Developing and pastoralist regions, internally displaced peoples, newly formed regions, and conflict-affected areas had the highest prevalence of zero-dose children. Wealth index (poorest [AOR = 2.78; 95% CI: 1.70, 4.53], poorer [AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.77]), single marital status [AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.7, 3.3], and maternal age (15-24 years) [AOR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3] were identified as key determinant factors of zero-dose children in the study settings. Additional factors included fewer than four Antenatal care visits (ANC) [AOR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4], not receiving Postnatal Care (PNC) services [AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.5, 3.0], unavailability of health facilities within the village [AOR = 3.7; 95% CI: 2.6, 5.4], women-headed household [AOR = 1.3; 95% CI:1.02, 1.7], low gender empowerment [AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.1], and medium gender empowerment [AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.5].

CONCLUSION

In the study settings, the prevalence of zero-dose children is very high. Poor economic status, disempowerment of women, being unmarried, young maternal age, and underutilizing antenatal or post-natal services are the important predictors. Therefore, it is recommended to target tailored integrated and context-specific service delivery approach. Moreover, extend immunization sessions opening hours during the evening/weekend in the city administrations to meet parents' needs.

Determinants of immunization in polio super high-risk union councils of Pakistan

BACKGROUND

The current polio epidemiology in Pakistan poses a unique challenge for global eradication as the country is affected by ongoing endemic poliovirus transmission. Across the country, 40 union councils (UCs) which serve as core reservoirs for poliovirus with continuous incidences of polio cases are categorized as super-high-risk union councils (SHRUCs).

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 39 SHRUCs using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. 6,976 children aged 12-23 months were covered. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using STATA version 17.

RESULTS

Based on both vaccination records and recall, 48.3% of children were fully-, 35.4 % were partially-, and 16.3% were non-vaccinated in the SHRUC districts. A child is considered fully vaccinated when h/she completed vaccination for BCG, OPV0, OPV 1-3, Penta 1-3, PCV 1-3, IPV, and MCV1. Vaccination cards were seen for over half of the children in the SHRUC districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the majority of the SHRUC districts in Sindh, except for the SHRUC district of Malir the districts of Balochistan. Results for polio vacancies show that 60.9% of children from the SHRUC districts were vaccinated with at least three doses of OPV and one dose of IPV, while 20.4% were vaccinated with any OPV doses or IPV and 18.7% of children did not receive any polio vaccines. The dropout rate between vaccine visits was higher than the WHO-recommended cutoff point of 10% for all vaccine doses in the SHRUC districts. The likelihood of being fully vaccinated was higher among the children of educated parents. Full vaccination was found significant among the children of any SHRUC districts compared to district Killa Abdullah.

CONCLUSION

Context-specific strategies with more focus on community engagement and targeted mobilization, along with robust monitoring mechanisms, would help address the underlying challenges of under-immunization in the SHRUCs.

Factors affecting on compliance of childhood immunization in Ilam District of Nepal; A case-control study

Childhood immunization is one of the most important public health interventions to reduce child morbidity and mortality. Reaching all children with full immunization services is critical to meet Nepal's commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to identify factors affecting compliance with childhood immunization in children aged 16 to 36 months in Nepal. A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted with 250 (83 cases and 167 controls) respondents in the Ilam district of Nepal. Respondents were randomly selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to identify the factors influencing compliance with childhood immunization of the sampled respondents. More than two-thirds (66.8%) of the sampled children were fully immunized, and 19.3% of the children defaulted to the Measles-Rubella vaccines. Only 19.2% of the respondents had good knowledge about the type of vaccine, and more than half (59.2%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards immunization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lack of knowledge about vaccines (AOR = 49.4, 95% CI = 12.94 to 188.59), father's level of education (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.05 to 4.30), not getting immunization on the day of the appointment (AOR = 4.8, 95% CI = 2.30 to 9.89), lack of knowledge about immunization schedule (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.14 to 4.84), and negative attitude towards immunization (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.03 to 4.19) were independently impeded on compliance on the childhood immunization. Targeted intervention in health promotion activities at the household level should be promoted and integrated immunization services into the existing primary health care services.

Changes in immunization coverage and contributing factors among children aged 12-23 months from 2000 to 2019, Ethiopia: Multivariate decomposition analysis

BACKGROUND

Immunization has been promoted as a global strategy aimed at improving child survival. The World Health Organization strives to make immunization services available to everyone, everywhere to save over 50 million lives by 2030. Monitoring the change and identifying the factors contributing to the change in immunization coverage over time and across the nations is imperative for continuing global success in increasing immunization coverage. In this study, we examined the changes and factors that contributed to the change in full immunization coverage over time in Ethiopia (2000 to 2019).

METHODS

We analyzed data on children aged 12-23 months, extracted from the 2000 and 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) datasets. A total of 3,072 weighted samples (2,076 in 2000 and 966 in 2019) were included in the analysis. A multivariate decomposition analysis technique was used to determine change and identify factors that contributed to the change over time. Statistical significance was defined at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value of less than 0.05.

RESULTS

There was a 29.56% (95% CI: 24.84, 34.28) change in full immunization coverage between the two surveys. It increased from 14.62% (95% CI: 12.43, 17.11) in 2000 to 44.18% (95% CI: 37.19, 51.41) in 2019. The decomposition analysis showed that about 75% of explained change was attributed to the differences in the composition of explanatory variables (the endowment effect). Particularly, women aged 35-49 years (-2.11%), those who attended four or more antenatal care visits (17.06%), individual who had postnatal care visits (16.90%), households with two or more under-five children (2.50%), and those with a history of child mortality (17.80%) were significantly attributed to the change. The rest, 25% of the explained change was attributed to the difference in the effects of explanatory variables (coefficient). The change in the coefficient for women who had experienced child death (-20.40%) was statistically significant to the change in full immunization coverage over time.

CONCLUSION

The finding of this study revealed that there was a statistically significant change in full immunization coverage over time. The majority of the change was attributed to the differences in the composition of explanatory variables such as antenatal care and postnatal care visits, age of the mother, and number of living children in the household. Therefore, strengthening maternal health services utilization may enhance immunization coverage in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the difference in coefficient of mothers with a history of child death had a substantial counteracting effect on the change, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and delivering vaccine education to them and the larger community.

Urban-rural disparities in immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia: multivariate decomposition analysis

BACKGROUND

Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions for improving children's health and survival. In Ethiopia, low immunization coverage and disparity across residences are major public health problems. However, the factors that contributed to the urban-rural disparity have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the change and contributing factors in full immunization coverage across geographic locations (urban-rural) in Ethiopia.

METHODS

We analyzed data on children aged 12 to 23 months obtained from the 2019 mini-Ethiopian demographic and health survey. A total of 996 weighted samples (299 in urban and 697 in rural areas) were included in the analysis. A multivariate decomposition analysis technique was used to determine the disparity and identify factors that contribute to the disparity across geographical locations. Statistical significance was defined at a 95% confidence interval with a p-value of less than 0.05.

RESULTS

The percentage of children aged 12-23 months who received full immunization increased from 36.84% (95% CI:31.59, 42.41) in rural areas to 64.59% (95% CI:47.10, 78.89) in urban areas. The decomposition analysis showed that the observed urban-rural disparity was attributed to a change in the effect of population characteristics (coefficient) across residences. Specifically, receiving 1-3 (β = 0.0895, 95% CI: 0.0241, 0.1550) and 4 or more (β = 0.1212, 95% CI: 0.0224, 0.2199) antenatal care visits, delivering at a health facility (β = 0.1350, 95% CI: 0.0227, 0.2472), and the source of information about immunization status from vaccination cards (β = 0.2666, 95% CI:0.1763, 0.3569) significantly contributed to the widening urban-rural disparity. On the other hand, being of high wealth status (β=-0.141, 95% CI: -0.1945, -0.0876), receiving postnatal care (β=-0.0697, 95% CI: -0.1344, -0.0051), and having four or more living children (β=-0.1774, 95% CI: -0.2971, -0.0577) significantly contributed to narrowing the urban-rural disparity.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant urban-rural disparity in immunization coverage in Ethiopia, with urban children more likely to complete immunization. The change in the composition of population characteristics was not significant for the observed disparity. The observed disparity in full immunization coverage was mainly driven by the coefficients related to maternal healthcare utilization, household wealth status, the number of living children, and the source of immunization information. Therefore, strengthening maternal health services utilization, encouraging mothers to maintain their children's immunization records, and addressing economic inequality, particularly in rural areas, may narrow the urban-rural disparity and enhance immunization coverage nationwide.

Contextual factors influencing incomplete immunization and investigation of its geospatial heterogeneity in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study based on PDHS (2017-18)

BACKGROUND

Immunization is one of the most effective public health initiatives, saving millions of lives and lowering the risk of diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, and measles. Immunization saves an estimated 2-3 million lives per year. A study of the regional variations in incomplete immunization will be useful in identifying gaps in the performance of immunization programs that are not noticed by standard vaccination programs monitoring. The primary goal of this study was to identify factors influencing child immunization status and to examine regional variations in incomplete immunization among children aged 12 to 23 months in Pakistan.

METHODS

For the current study, the data were taken from the Demographic and Health Survey for Pakistan (PDHS 2017-2018). Ever-married women who had children aged 12-23 months were included in this study. The immunization status of children was used as an outcome variable. In order to determine the effects of different factors on incomplete immunization, multilevel logistic model was used. To study the geographical variation of incomplete immunization, hotspot analysis was done using ArcGIS 10.7 and SaTScan software and to identify significant predictors of incomplete immunization, GWR 4 software was used.

RESULTS

Place of delivery, gender of child, mother's educational level and region were identified as significant determinants of incomplete immunization of children in Pakistan. Chances of incomplete immunization of children were found significantly lower for educated mothers (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.79) and mothers who had delivered children in the health facilities (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.83). Female children were more likely (AOR = 1.44, 1.95% CI 1.04-1.99) to be incompletely immunized as compared to male children. FATA (AOR = 11.19, 95% CI 4.89-25.6), and Balochistan (AOR = 10.94, 95% CI 5.08-23.58) were found at the highest risk of incomplete immunization of children as compared to Punjab. The significant spatial heterogeneity of incomplete immunization was found across Pakistan. The spatial distribution of incomplete immunization was clustered all over Pakistan. The high prevalence of incomplete immunization was observed in Balochistan, South Sindh, North Sindh, South KPK, South FATA, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir, South and East Punjab. Drang and Harcho were identified as hotspot areas of incomplete immunization in Gilgit Baltistan. Secondary clusters with a high risk of incomplete immunization were found in regions Balochistan, Sindh and FATA.

CONCLUSION

Gender biasedness towards female children, regarding complete immunization of children prevailed in Pakistan. Spatial heterogeneity was also found for incomplete immunization of children. To overcome the problem access to health facilities is the foremost step. Government should target hotspot areas of incomplete immunization of children to provide primary health care facilities by opening health care units in these areas. The government in collaboration with the media should launch awareness campaigns in those areas to convince people that complete immunization is the right of every child regardless of gender.

Comparing full immunisation status of children (0-23 months) between slums of Kampala City and the rural setting of Iganga District in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Immunisation remains the most cost-effective public health intervention in preventing morbidity and mortality due to Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs). The study aims to compare the differences in immunisation coverage amongst children aged 0 to 23 months living in slums of Kampala city and Iganga as rural districts in Uganda.

METHODS

This study utilises data from a cross-sectional survey done in 2019 in the slums of Kampala City and the rural district of Iganga within the Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS). It included 1016 children aged 0-23 months and their parents. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the relationship between multiple independent variables and the binary dependent variables (fully immunised) using Stata statistical software. The measures of association were odds ratios reported with a corresponding 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

Out of the 1016 participants, 544 participants live in the rural area and 472 participants in the slums. Slums had 48.9% (n = 231) of fully immunised children whilst rural areas had 43.20% (n = 235). The multivariate analysis showed that children living in slums are more likely to be fully immunised as compared to their counterparts in rural areas (Odds ratio:1.456; p = 0.033; CI:1.030-2.058). Immunisation coverage for BCG (98.9%), Polio 0 (88.2%), Penta1 (92.7%), and Pneumo1 (89.8%) were high in both settlements. However, the dropout rate for subsequent vaccines was high 17%, 20% and 41% for Penta, pneumococcal and rota vaccines respectively. There was poor uptake of the new vaccines with slums having 73.4% and 47.9% coverage for pneumococcal and rota vaccines respectively and rural areas had 72.1% and 7.5% for pneumococcal and rota vaccines respectively.

CONCLUSION

The low full immunisation status in this study was attributed to the child's residence and the occupation of the parents. Lack of education and poor access to messages on immunisation (inadequate access to mass media) are other contributing factors. Educational messages on the importance of immunisation targeting these underserved populations will improve full immunisation coverage.

Factors associated with pentavalent vaccine coverage among 12-23-month-old children in Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the coverage of the third dose of pentavalent vaccine (Penta3) among children aged 12-23 months in Afghanistan.

METHODS

The data of 3,040 children aged 12-23 months were taken from the Afghanistan Health Survey 2018, including characteristics of the children and their households, household heads, and mothers/primary care givers. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a logistic model. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis with forward-selection (Model 1) and backward-selection (Model 2) was performed using variables that showed significant differences by bivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The coverage of Penta3 among 12-23-month-old children was 82.3%. Factors associated with Penta3 coverage in the two models of multivariable analysis were 18-23 months old compared to 12-17 months old; having no diarrhea in the last two weeks compared to having diarrhea; no bipedal edema compared to having edema; taking vitamin A supplement; 1-2 children under five years in a household compared to three or more; distance from residence to the nearest health facility ≤2 hours on foot; having a radio; having a TV; educated heads of households; non-smoking of heads of households; and literacy of mothers/primary caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Penta3 coverage among 12-23-month-old children improved but was still lower than the target. Primary education should be provided to all children throughout the country. TV and radio are useful tools for providing health information. Mobile outreach programs and the establishment of new health facilities should be promoted to improve access to health service for all people in Afghanistan.

Incomplete immunization and its determinants among children in Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Immunization is one of the most cost-effective measures to prevent morbidity and mortality in children. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the pooled prevalence of incomplete immunization among children in Africa as well as its determinants. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and online institutional repository homes were searched. Studies published within English language, with full text available for searching, and studies conducted in Africa were included in this meta-analysis. A pooled prevalence, Sub-group analysis, sensitivity analysis and meta-regression were conducted. Out of 1305 studies assessed, 26 met our criteria and were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of incomplete immunization was 35.5% (95% CI: 24.4, 42.7), I² = 92.1%). Home birth (AOR=2.7; 95% CI: 1.5-4.9), rural residence (AOR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.1-20.1), lack of antenatal care visit (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4-5.1), lack of knowledge of immunizations (AOR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.3-4.6), and maternal illiteracy (AOR = 1.7: 95%CI: 1.3-2.0) were associated with incomplete immunization. In Africa, the prevalence of incomplete immunization is high. It is important to promote urban residency, knowledge of immunization and antenatal follow up care.

Routine Immunization Coverage and Immunization Card Retention in Pakistan: Results From a Cross-sectional National Survey

BACKGROUND

Immunization is one of the most successful public health interventions available, saving millions of lives from death and disability each year. Therefore, improving immunization coverage is a high priority for the Government of Pakistan and essential to progress toward universal health coverage. This survey reports the national and provincial/regional coverage and determinants of fully, partially, and not-vaccinated children 12-23 months of age, antigen-wise coverage, percentage of home-based vaccination records (HBR) retention, and reasons for nonretention; dropout, timeliness, and prevalence of missed opportunities for simultaneous vaccination (MOSV).

METHODS

The survey was a descriptive cross-sectional national household survey carried out across Pakistan. The survey included 110,790 children 12-23 months old and their caregivers. A World Health Organization (WHO)-Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Survey questionnaire was adapted to collect information. Data were analyzed using the WHO Vaccination Coverage Quality Indicators (VCQI) software and Stata version 17.

RESULTS

Nationally excluding Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB), the coverage of fully vaccinated children was 76.5%. The likelihood of being fully vaccinated was higher among children of educated parents who belonged to higher wealth quintiles and resided in any province/region other than Balochistan. The main reasons for unimmunization were no faith in immunization, rumors about vaccines, and distance to the facility. About two-thirds (66.2%) of the children had their HBR available, and the main reasons for not having a card were never visiting a health facility and having no awareness about the importance of a card. Dropout was discernible for later doses of vaccines compared with earlier ones. Higher proportions of children received the last doses late by more than two months. Of the 218,002 vaccination visits documented on HBR in the provinces, MOSVs occurred in 17.6% of the visits.

CONCLUSION

The immunization coverage rates provide a direction to strategize the progress to improve the vaccination rates in Pakistan. The country needs to outline the immediate and long-term actions to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, such as escalating integrated immunization campaigns and outreach activities, provision of mobility support, and deploying behavioral interventions as a cross-cutting strategy to improve awareness and reduce misconceptions.

Determinants of full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age from deviant mothers/caregivers in Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis using 2016 demographic and health survey

Background

Despite remarkable improvements in child health services utilization, childhood immunization has been poorly implemented in Ethiopia. However, evidence on the coverage of immunization among children from mothers/caregivers with no education (non-educated mothers were the most identified risk for underutilization of services) are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the determinants of full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age from deviant mothers/caregivers in Ethiopia.

Methods

We analyzed data from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) on a sample of 1,170 children 12-23 months of age identified from deviant mothers/caregivers (mothers/caregivers with no education) through a two-stage stratified sampling. A multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the individual and community level determinants of full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age with their deviant mothers/caregivers. In the final model, a p-value of < 0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to select statistically significant determinants of full immunization coverage.

Results

The overall full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age identified from deviant mothers/caregivers was 27.4% (95%CI: 25.0, 31.0) in Ethiopia. Deviant mothers/caregivers who are employed (AOR = 1.69, 95%CI: 1.68, 2.45), being in the rich household wealth status (AOR = 2.54, 95%CI: 1.53, 4.22), residing in city (AOR = 5.69, 95%CI: 2.39, 13.61), having one to three (AOR: 3.28, 95% CI: 2.12-5.07) and four and more ANC follow-up during the recent pregnancy (AOR: 3.91, 95% CI: 2.45, 6.24) were the determinants that increased full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age.

Conclusions

Full immunization coverage among children 12-23 months of age from non-educated mothers/caregivers was low and far behind the national target of coverage. Therefore, a system-wide intervention should be used to enhance employability, wealth status, and key maternal health services like ANC follow-up among non-educated mothers/caregivers to increase their children's full immunization coverage.

Impact of antenatal care visits on childhood immunization: a propensity score-matched analysis using nationally representative survey

BACKGROUND

Evidence has suggested a relationship between antenatal care (ANC) visits and childhood immunization coverage. However, evaluating its impact using observational data suffers from the problem of selection bias. Hence, we adopted propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis for studying the impact of ANC visits on childhood immunization.

METHODS

Data regarding ANC visits and childhood immunization were collected from a nationally representative survey, National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4). We performed PSM analysis with logit model using the psmatch2 command package in STATA to find the average treatment effect on the population (ATE), treated (ATT), and untreated (ATU).

RESULTS

In total, 5,430 participants were included in the analysis. Radius matching with caliper width of 0.01 was used to match the groups. The ATT values in the intervention and control groups were 0.71 and 0.47, respectively, indicating that the immunization coverage was increased by 24% because of ANC visits. The ATU values in the intervention and control groups were 0.40 and 0.65, respectively. This indicates that for the women who did not make the ANC visits, the chance of getting their children immunized would have increased by 25% if they had made four or more visits. The final ATE estimate was 0.25 among the study participants. Quality of matching was good with no significant difference in characteristics between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Findings from our study imply that policymakers in India should focus on further improving the ANC coverage as it has a significant impact on improving childhood immunization coverage.

Correlates of Zero-Dose Vaccination Status among Children Aged 12–59 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Contextual Factors

Despite ongoing efforts to improve childhood vaccination coverage, including in hard-to-reach and hard-to-vaccinate communities, many children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain unvaccinated. Considering recent goals set by the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), including reducing the number of zero-dose children by half, research that goes beyond coverage to identify populations and groups at greater risk of being unvaccinated is urgently needed. This is a pooled cross-sectional study of individual- and country-level data obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys Program and two open data repositories. The sample includes 43,131 children aged 12–59 months sampled between 2010 and 2020 in 33 SSA countries. Associations of zero-dose status with individual and contextual factors were assessed using multilevel logistic regression. 16.5% of children had not received any vaccines. Individual level factors associated lower odds of zero-dose status included mother’s primary school or high school education, employment, use of antenatal care services and household wealth. Compared to children in countries with lower GDP, children in countries with relatively high GDP had nearly four times greater odds of being unvaccinated. Both individual and contextual factors are correlated with zero-dose status in SSA. Our results can inform efforts to identify and reach children who have not received any vaccines.

Zero-dose children in Turkey: regional comparison of pooled data for the period 1990 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Immunization plays a vital role in child health and survival. Zero-dose children are coming increasingly into focus as part of the global Immunization Agenda 2030. Although the percentage of zero-dose children has decreased in Turkey over time, regional/socioeconomic inequalities persist. This study aims to analyze the trend in zero-dose children and the factors associated with this problem in Turkey in light of regional inequalities.

METHODS

Six data sets (1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018) were pooled from the last six Turkey Demographic and Health Surveys (TDHSs). The vaccination module for children aged 12-35 months and variables related to household characteristics, socio-economic, cultural characteristics of parents, bio-demographic/health-related factors were taken from the DHS data. Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out by taking into account the complex sample design of surveys for Turkey in general, the East region, and other regions.

RESULTS

Significant progress has been made in reducing the number of zero-dose children in Turkey over the last three decades, as it has dropped from 3.2 to 0.9%. The results of multivariate analyses revealed that survey year, household wealth, the mother's level of education, payment of bride price, mother's native language, place of delivery, and the number of antenatal care visits are associated with zero-dose children. Factors associated with zero-dose children also differ between the East region, and other regions.

CONCLUSION

Public health programs targeting uneducated parents, poor households, lack of social security, Kurdish-speaking mothers, older mothers and those without antenatal care should be implemented to promote childhood immunization.

Determinants of vaccine coverage and timeliness in a northern Pakistani village

The incidence of vaccine preventable disease in Pakistan remains high despite a long-standing Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). We describe vaccine completeness, timeliness and determinants of coverage from a remote rural cohort (2012–2014). Vaccination histories were taken from EPI records. Vaccination was complete if all doses were received according to the EPI schedule and timely if doses were not ≥3 days early or ≥ 28 days late. Three models are presented: a multivariable logistic regression of household demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with complete vaccination, a multivariable mixed effects logistic regression assessing whether or not the vaccine was administered late (versus on-time), and a mixed effects multivariable Poisson regression model analysing the interval (in days) between vaccine doses. Of 959 enrolled children with full vaccination histories, 88.2 and 65.1% were fully vaccinated following either the pentavalent or DPT/HBV schedules if measles was excluded; coverage dropped to 50.0 and 27.1% when both doses of measles were included. Sixty-four (6.7%) were unvaccinated. Coverage and timeliness declined with subsequent doses. Migrating into the village after 1995 (95%CI 1.88 to 5.17) was associated with late vaccination. Being male, having an older father, and having parents with at least some formal education reduced the likelihood of a late dose. The interval between doses was consistent at 5 weeks (compared with the 4 weeks recommended by EPI). None of the socio-demographic variables were related to the likelihood of receiving full coverage. Vaccine coverage in Oshikhandass was higher than national averages. Measles vaccine coverage and timeliness were low; special consideration should be paid to this vaccine. The local vaccination schedule differed from the EPI, but the consistency suggests good local administration.

Full immunization coverage and associated factors among children aged 12-23 months in Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia

Objective

Despite those efforts in expanded programs of immunization, nearly one fifth of children in developing countries miss out basic vaccines. Moreover, many children who started vaccination fail to complete immunization.Identifying associated factorswhich is scarce in the study area, is crucial for interventions. This study assessed full-immunization and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from October 1–30, 2018, in selected rural and urban kebeles in Somali regionamong 612 children. Cluster sampling was employed and data was collected using structured questionnaire. Full-immunization was measured by maternal recall and vaccination card.Data entry and analysis was done by EpiData3.1 and SPSSversion.20 respectively. Binary logistic regression with Bivariate and Multivariable model was usedto identify predictors of full-immunization. Odd ratios were computed and P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results

Based on maternal recall plus vaccination card 249(41.4%) of children were completed immunization, while vaccination only by card was 87(29.7%). Only 238(39.5%) of participants had good knowledge about vaccination. Not knowing to come back for next visits 197(55.8%) were the major reason for dropout. Residing in urban (AOR = 2.0, 95%CI: 1.0, 3.9),primary educated mothers(AOR = 2.2, 95%CI: 1.0, 5.0), married mothers (AOR = 4.2, 95%CI:1.0, 18), higher average monthly income (AOR = 2.5, 95%CI 1.1, 5.2)and delivered at health facilities (AOR = 3.8, 95%CI 1.9, 7.3)were significantly associated with full-immunization.

Conclusion

Coverage of full immunization was found to be low compared to the targets set in the Global Vaccine Action Plan(2011–2020).Two-third of the participants has poor knowledge about vaccination. Urban residence, mother education, higher family income, male child and institutional delivery were factors. This study suggests that awareness creation, behaviour change on vaccination and enhancing utilization of maternal health service including delivery service, should be stressed.

Factors associated with the incomplete opportune vaccination schedule up to 12 months of age, Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso

OBJECTIVE

To analyze factors associated with the incomplete timely vaccination schedule up to 12 months of age, in children born in 2015, in the municipality of Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso.

METHODS

Population survey, August/2017 to February/2018, which used the method proposed by the World Health Organization to collect information about routine vaccination. For analysis of the associated factors, the recommendations of the National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health were considered. Univariate analysis was performed, and the factors associated with p<0.20 entered in the multiple analysis, with hierarchical entry of individual variables and contextual indicator of concentration of the income extremes.

RESULTS

The incomplete timely vaccination schedule up to 12 months was 82.03% (95%CI 78.41-86.63). In the final model, the following remained independently associated: having one or more siblings at home (OR 3.18; 95%CI 1.75-5.76) and not receiving a visit from a community health worker in the last 30 days (OR 1.93; 95%CI 1.04-3.57).

CONCLUSIONS

It is necessary to implement an active search for children with vaccination delay in relation to the recommended interval for each vaccine, in addition to the need to strengthen the link of the family health strategy and child caregivers.

Childhood vaccination uptake and associated factors among children 12-23 months in rural settings of the Gambia: a community-based cross-sectional study

Background

Globally, immunization prevents 2–3 million deaths annually from vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles. In developing countries, several immunization programs have made progress, but the coverage remains a standstill in some areas. In order to inform policies and practices, the present study aimed at assessing vaccination uptake and contextual-associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in rural Gambia.

Methods

A community-based triangulated cross-sectional design was conducted in January 2020, with 200 caregivers with children aged 12–23 months in selected households in rural communities across Upper River Region of the Gambia using multistage sampling technique were recruited. A structured interview questionnaire was developed and Infant Welfare Cards were assessed to elicit information regarding contextual household characteristics towards childhood immunization uptake. Percentages, chi-square/fisher exact test for variables with p-value ≤0.15 were considered for inclusion into logistic regression model. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. The adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were reported to declare significance.

Results

The proportion of children who received all the required vaccines was 66%. At the level of antigen-specific coverage, about 88.5% received BCG, 71% received OPV 3, 82.5% received Penta 3, while 72 and 71% received Measles-Rubella and yellow fever, respectively. Caregivers who had primary education level 88.8% (aOR = 0.112; 95% CI = 0.029–0.434), secondary & above 87.2% (aOR = 0.128; 95% CI = 0.029, 0. 561) and arabic/madrassa 95.7% (aOR = 0.043; 95% CI = 0.008–1.227) were less likely to be fully vaccinated when compared to those who have never been to school. Farmers are less likely by 88.9% (aOR = 0.111; 95% CI 0.020, 0.635) while children from family size of more than 20 members had reduced odds (aOR = 0.420; 95% CI = 0.197, 0.894) for their children to complete their vaccination schedule as compared to those with at most 20 household members.

Conclusion

There is moderately a burden of incomplete vaccination in rural Gambia. Vaccination programs should be constantly monitored and evaluated by the Ministry of Health, especially in rural areas. To increase societal awareness and vaccine acceptance, a robust community-based health education efforts are desperately needed as part of initiatives to increase vaccine service utilization for these high-risk classes.

Usability and Acceptability of a Mobile App for Behavior Change and to Improve Immunization Coverage among Children in Pakistan: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background: Pakistan’s immunization uptake rates are still significantly lower than anticipated despite several initiatives. Lack of awareness, forgetting about vaccination schedule, and vaccine misconception/misinformation are a few of the major drivers that mitigate the rates of immunization. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of immunization. The significant reductions in regular childhood vaccination during pandemic have increased the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Concerns among parents over possibly exposing their children to COVID-19 during child visits may have contributed to the reported declines. Innovative and cost-effective mHealth interventions must be implemented in order to address the problem of inadequate immunization rates. In addition, it is also critical to understand the end user needs in order to reflect on the highly relevant essence of the customized healthcare experience. Objective: The aim of this study was to learn about caregivers’ attitudes toward the usability and acceptability of behavior-change smartphone applications (mobile phones) for improving immunization coverage in Pakistan. Methods: A mixed-method design was employed for this study. The study was conducted at Aga Khan University, Hospital. Parents visiting the Community Health Center for 6-week vaccination of their children were recruited. The study was conducted in two stages. Stage 1 consisted of qualitative interviews that grasped the parent’s attitudes and challenges to immunization, as well as their acceptability and accessibility of the smartphone-based behavior-change application to increase vaccine uptake. Stage 1 was followed by stage 2, in which data were collected through a questionnaire designed by using data from qualitative interviews. Results: The majority of participants agreed that immunization serves an important role in protecting their child from illnesses that cause morbidity and mortality. Almost all of them emphasized the importance of using a pre-appointment method at vaccination center in order to reduce the waiting time. Furthermore, participants were also interested in AI-based behavior modification applications related to immunization. They also wanted to have applications in their native language for better understanding and communication of related information. In our study, approximately 95.2 percent of participants agreed to accept SMS immunization updates, which was also reasonably high. Lastly, the majority of them identified forgetfulness as a significant contributor to regular immunization. Conclusion: To enhance the uptake of childhood vaccines, overall vaccination rates, and overcome barriers related to vaccination coverage, cost-effective and user-friendly mHealth AI-based smart phone applications are required to raise awareness regarding the continuation of vaccination service and the importance of timely vaccination. Parents’ experiences and attitudes must be considered while designing and evaluating the efficacy of mHealth-based interventions.

Determinants of full childhood immunization among children aged 12-23 months in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis using Demographic and Health Survey Data

BACKGROUND

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the highest under-five mortality and low childhood immunization region in the world. Children in Sub-Saharan Africa are 15 times more likely to die than children from high-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of under-five deaths are preventable through immunization. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinant factors of full childhood immunization among children aged 12-23 months in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Data for the study was drawn from the Demographic and Health Survey of nine sub-Saharan African countries. A total of 21,448 children were included. The two-level mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to identify the individual and community-level factors associated with full childhood immunization RESULT: The prevalence of full childhood immunization coverage in sub-Saharan Africa countries was 59.40% (95% CI: 58.70, 60.02). The multilevel logistic regression model revealed that secondary and above maternal education (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.25, 1.53), health facility delivery (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.41, 1.63), fathers secondary education and above (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.48), four and above ANC visits (AOR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.30), PNC visit(AOR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.46, 1.65), rich wealth index (AOR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.40), media exposure (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.18), and distance to health facility is not a big problem (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.47) were significantly associated with full childhood immunization.

CONCLUSION

The full childhood immunization coverage in sub-Saharan Africa was poor with high inequalities. There is a significant variation between SSA countries in full childhood immunization. Therefore, public health programs targeting uneducated mothers and fathers, rural mothers, poor households, and those who have not used maternal health care services to promote full childhood immunization to improve child health. By enhancing institutional delivery, antenatal care visits and maternal tetanus immunization, the government and other stakeholders should work properly to increase child immunization coverage. Furthermore, policies and programs aimed at addressing cluster variations in childhood immunization need to be formulated and their implementation must be strongly pursued.

Maternal healthcare utilization and full immunization coverage among 12-23 months children in Benin: a cross sectional study using population-based data

Background

Maternal and child health are important issues for global health policy, and the past three decades have seen a significant progress in maternal and child healthcare worldwide. Immunization is a critical, efficient, and cost-effective public health intervention for newborns. However, studies on these health-promoting indicators in low-income and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Sahara Africa are sparse. We investigated the association between maternal healthcare utilization and complete vaccination in the Republic of Benin.

Methods

We analysed data from the 2018 Benin Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). Specifically, the children’s recode file was used for the study. The outcome variable used was complete vaccination. Number of antenatal care visits, assistance during delivery, and postnatal check-up visits were the key explanatory variables. Bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analyses were carried out. The results were presented as unadjusted odds ratios (uOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR), with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) signifying their level of precision. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05.

Results

The prevalence of full immunization coverage in Benin was 85.4%. The likelihood of full immunization was lower among children whose mothers had no antenatal care visits, compared to those whose mothers had 1–3 visits [aOR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08–0.15], those who got assistance from Traditional Birth Attendants/other during delivery, compared to those who had assistance from Skilled Birth Attendants/health professionals [aOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.77], and mothers who had no postnatal care check-up visit, compared to those who had postnatal care check-up < 24 h after delivery [aOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.36–0.67]. With the covariates, religion, partner’s level of education, parity, wealth quintile, and place of residence also showed significant associations with full immunization.

Conclusion

The study has demonstrated strong association between full immunization and antenatal care, skilled attendance at birth, and postnatal care check-up visit. We found that full immunization decreases among women with no antenatal care visits, those who receive assistance from Traditional Birth Attendants during delivery, and those who do not go for postnatal care visits. To help achieve full immunization, it is prudent that the government of Benin collaborates with international organisations such as WHO and UNICEF to provide education to pregnant women on the importance of immunization after delivery. Such education can be embedded in the antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care services offered to pregnant women during pregnancy, delivery, and after delivery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-021-00554-y.

Critical Review of Data Analytics Techniques used in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)

BACKGROUND

Immunization is a significant public health intervention to reduce child mortality and morbidity. However, its coverage, in spite of free accessibility, is still very low in developing countries. One of the primary reasons for this low coverage is the lack of analysis and proper utilization of immunization data at various healthcare facilities.

PURPOSE

In this paper, the existing machine learning-based data analytics techniques have been reviewed critically to highlight the gaps where this high potential data could be exploited in a meaningful manner.

RESULTS

It has been revealed from our review that the existing approaches use data analytics techniques without considering the complete complexity of Expanded Program on Immunization which includes the maintenance of cold chain systems, proper distribution of vaccine and quality of data captured at various healthcare facilities. Moreover, in developing countries, there is no centralized data repository where all data related to immunization is being gathered to perform analytics at various levels of granularities.

CONCLUSION

We believe that the existing non-centralized immunization data with the right set of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence-based techniques will not only improve the vaccination coverage but will also help in predicting the future trends and patterns of its coverage in different geographical locations.

The trends of socioeconomic inequities in full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months from 2000 to 2017: evidence for mitigating disparities in vaccination service in Zhejiang province

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the trends and changes in inequities in the completeness of the primary vaccination (CPV) scheduled before the first year of age among children aged 12-23 months, from 2000 to 2017. Methods: Data were extracted from five rounds of the provincial vaccination coverage survey (PVCS) in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2014 and 2017, respectively. The household income per month was used as an index of socioeconomic status for the inequity analysis. The concentration index (CI) was used to quantify the degree of inequity, and the decomposition approach was applied to quantify the contributions from independent factors to inequity in the CPV. Results: The CPV was significantly improved from 2000 to 2017, with 67.0% for the 2000 PVCS and 86.0% for the 2017 PCVS. The CI value decreased from 0.29839 for the 2000 round to 0.03601 for the 2017 round. The decomposition analysis indicated that independent variables such as birth order, ethnic group, mother's education, maternal employment status, residence, immigration status and the percentage of the total health spending allocated to public health could explain the inequity in the CPV in varying degrees. Conclusions: A sharp reduction in socioeconomic inequity in the CPV was observed from 2000 to 2017. Policy recommendations to reduce the inequality in the CPV should focus on children with the risk factors found in this study, for better outcome in full vaccination and long-lasting herd immunity.

Investigating Factors Associated with Immunization Incompletion of Children Under Five in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria: Implication for Policy Dialogue

Purpose. To investigate factors associated with immunization incompletion of children under 5 years in Ebonyi state, Southeastern part of Nigeria. Method. A cross-sectional and a cluster sampling design were implemented; 400 women of childbearing age in families with children between 0 to 59 months of age were interviewed in Ebonyi state. Demographic characteristics of the child and mother, the child’s immunization history, and reasons for partial immunization were obtained with the use of a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA with SPSS version 23 and hypothesis tested at P < .05. Results. Findings revealed that 180 (48.1%) females, and 194 (51.9%) males’ children were immunized; Less than half 155 (41.9%) of the children had 1 missed dose, considered as partial immunization cases indicating low coverage. Of the reasons given for incomplete immunization mothers, mothers agreed that immunization centers are far from home (x̄ = 2.55 ± 0.92). This reason significantly affects mothers who were young (≤20 years) (x = 2.86 ± 0.94; P = .018), single (x = 2.84 ± 1.05; 0.037), had secondary education (x = 2.65 ± 1.08;0.000), students (2.89 ± 1.08; P = .000), poor (x = 2.63 ± 1.05; P = .009), and primiparous (x = 2.50 ± 1.08; P = .036) are more affected and they agreed (grand mean >2.50). Conclusion. Immunization coverage was low, and far location from health facility was indicted thus policy implementers should locate health facilities close to homes. also health education on the importance of immunization should be given to mothers especially those who are young and has low socio-economic status.

Implementation and adherence of routine pertussis vaccination (DTP) in a low-resource urban birth cohort

INTRODUCTION

Reliable information on rates of up-to-date coverage and timely administration of routine childhood immunisations are critical for guiding public health efforts worldwide, yet prospective observation of vaccination programmes within individual communities is rare. Here, we provide a longitudinal analysis of the directly observed administration of a three-dose primary vaccination series to infants in a low-resource community in Lusaka, Zambia.

METHODS

Throughout 2015, we recruited a longitudinal birth cohort of mother/infant pairs (initial enrolment, 1981 pairs; attending, 1497 pairs) from the periurban informal settlement of Chawama compound, located in Lusaka, Zambia. We prospectively monitored the administration of scheduled diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccinations across the first 14-18 weeks of life. We analysed study attendance and vaccine coverage, both overall and stratified by age group. We employed Kaplan-Meier analyses to estimate delays in age-appropriate administration of vaccine doses. We also assessed schedule timing violations, including early and compressed dose administration.

RESULTS

At study completion, first dose (DTP1) rates were high (92.9% of attending), whereas third dose completion (DTP3) rates were far lower (61.9%). Missed vaccinations and study dropout both contributed to the low DTP3 completion rates. DTP1 was administered very late (at or after 10 weeks) to 61 infants (4.1%). DTP1 was administered too early to 64 infants (4.3%), and 77 (5.1%) received consecutive doses below the minimum recommended spacing of 28 days.

CONCLUSIONS

We observe substantial individual variation in the timing of early childhood DTP doses, though following this birth cohort proved challenging. Our results indicate that timely administration of both DTP1 and DTP3 remains a challenge in this community. These directly-observed, individual-based results provide an important counterpoint to more course-grained, survey-based national and province estimates of up-to-date vaccine coverage. This study also highlights the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and suboptimal utilisation of (no-cost) healthcare services in a low-resource urban setting.

Complete basic childhood vaccination and associated factors among children aged 12-23 months in East Africa: a multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health surveys

Background

Complete childhood vaccination remains poor in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite major improvement in childhood vaccination coverage worldwide. Globally, an estimated 2.5 million children die annually from vaccine-preventable diseases. While studies are being conducted in different East African countries, there is limited evidence of complete basic childhood vaccinations and associated factors in East Africa among children aged 12–23 months. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate complete basic childhood vaccinations and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in East Africa.

Methods

Based on the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) of 12 East African countries (Burundi, Ethiopia, Comoros, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi), secondary data analysis was performed. The study included a total weighted sample of 18,811 children aged 12–23 months. The basic childhood vaccination coverage was presented using a bar graph. Multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was fitted for identifying significantly associated factors because the DHS has a hierarchical nature. The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Median Odds Ratio (MOR), Proportional Change in Variance (PCV), and deviance (−2LLR) were used for checking model fitness, and for model comparison. Variable with p-value ≤0.2 in the bi-variable multilevel analysis were considered for the multivariable analysis. In the multivariable multilevel analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were reported to declare the significance and strength of association with full vaccination.

Results

Complete basic childhood vaccination in East Africa was 69.21% (95% CI, 69.20, 69.21%). In the multivariable multilevel analysis; Mothers aged 25–34 years (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.32), mothers aged 35 years and above (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.71), maternal primary education (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.38), maternal secondary education and above (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.75), husband primary education (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.39), husband secondary education and above (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.40), media exposure (AOR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.33), birth interval of 24–48 months (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.42), birth interval greater than 48 months (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.50), having 1–3 ANC visit (AOR = 3.24, 95% CI: 2.78, 3.77), four and above ANC visit (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: 3.17, 4.28), PNC visit (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.47), health facility delivery (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.62), large size at birth 1.09 (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.19), being 4–6 births (AOR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75, 0.91), being above the sixth birth (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.70), middle wealth index (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.28), rich wealth index (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.33), community poverty (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.32) and country were significantly associated with complete childhood vaccination.

Conclusions

In East Africa, full basic childhood vaccine coverage remains a major public health concern with substantial differences across countries. Complete basic childhood vaccination was significantly associated with maternal age, maternal education, husband education, media exposure, preceding birth interval, number of ANC visits, PNC visits, place of delivery, child-size at birth, parity, wealth index, country, and community poverty. Public health interventions should therefore target children born to uneducated mothers and fathers, poor families, and those who have not used maternal health services to enhance full childhood vaccination to reduce the incidence of child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Incomplete Vaccination and Its Predictors among Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Vaccination is an effective public health intervention that has contributed to a substantial reduction in the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Abridged evidence on incomplete vaccination is not well established in Ethiopia. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of incomplete vaccination and its predictors among children aged 12 to 23 months. Methods. Primary studies conducted in Ethiopia were searched. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist. The analysis was conducted using STATA 14 and RevMan. The presence of statistical heterogeneity was checked using the Cochran Q test, and its level was quantified using I2 statistics. Pooled prevalence and odds ratio (OR) were computed at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. The pooled prevalence of incomplete vaccination was 30% (95% CI: 25-35). Maternal illiteracy (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.40, 2.74) and home delivery (OR = 2.78; 95% CI: 2.28, 3.38) were associated factors that increased incomplete vaccination. However, maternal autonomy (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.89), maternal knowledge (OR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.47), husband employment (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.67), urban residence (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.86), ANC visits (OR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.39), postnatal care (OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.52), and tetanus toxoid vaccine (3+) (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.69) were factors that reduced incomplete vaccination. Conclusion. In Ethiopia, 3 out of 10 children have incomplete vaccination. Policies should focus on strengthening and improving women’s education, maternal health knowledge, empowering women, and the utilization of prenatal care can overcome some of the barriers.

Characterizing mothers and children at risk of being under-immunized in India: A latent class analysis approach

OBJECTIVES

While India has made substantial progress in introducing new vaccines and scaling up immunization coverage, inequities persist sub-nationally. This study was performed to investigate the risk of under-immunization based on class membership and to identify heterogeneous classes based on sociodemographic characteristics in pediatric and maternal populations in India through latent class analysis.

METHODS

Data from the most recent National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015-2016 were used. Latent class analysis was used to model immunization coverage in children aged 12-23 months and mothers, and to identify subgroups to characterize those at risk of not being immunized.

RESULTS

Patterns of sociodemographic characteristics were found to contribute to non-immunization or under-immunization among pediatric and maternal populations in India. Individuals who fit into one of three categories were identified in both populations: those at high, medium, and lower risk of not being immunized. Lower socioeconomic status, lack of antenatal care, and lower maternal education put individuals at higher risk of not being immunized with routine childhood vaccines and maternal tetanus toxoid.

CONCLUSIONS

Predisposing risk factors can persistently impact immunization status despite improvements in immunization access in India. Tailored programmatic interventions should be developed to improve immunization coverage among those children and mothers who are at highest risk of being under-immunized or not immunized.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic response on uptake of routine immunizations in Sindh, Pakistan: An analysis of provincial electronic immunization registry data

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 pandemic has affected routine immunization globally. Impact will likely be higher in low and middle-income countries with limited healthcare resources and fragile health systems. We quantified the impact, spatial heterogeneity, and determinants for childhood immunizations of 48 million population affected in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

METHODS

We extracted individual immunization records from real-time provincial Electronic Immunization Registry from September 23, 2019, to July 11, 2020. Comparing baseline (6 months preceding the lockdown) and the COVID-19 lockdown period, we analyzed the impact on daily immunization coverage rate for each antigen by geographical area. We used multivariable logistic regression to explore the predictors associated with immunizations during the lockdown.

RESULTS

There was a 52.5% decline in the daily average total number of vaccinations administered during lockdown compared to baseline. The highest decline was seen for Bacille Cal-mette Guérin (BCG) (40.6% (958/2360) immunization at fixed sites. Around 8438 children/day were missing immunization during the lockdown. Enrollments declined furthest in rural districts, urban sub-districts with large slums, and polio-endemic super high-risk sub-districts. Pentavalent-3 (penta-3) immunization rates were higher in infants born in hospitals (RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.15) and those with mothers having higher education (RR: 1.19-1.50; 95% CI: 1.13-1.65). Likelihood of penta-3 immunization was reduced by 5% for each week of delayed enrollment into the immunization program.

CONCLUSION

One out of every two children in Sindh province has missed their routine vaccinations during the provincial COVID-19 lockdown. The pool of un-immunized children is expanding during lockdown, leaving them susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases. There is a need for tailored interventions to promote immunization visits and safe service delivery. Higher maternal education, facility-based births, and early enrollment into the immunization program continue to show a positive association with immunization uptake, even during a challenging lockdown.

Factors influencing vaccination coverage among children age 12-23 months in Afghanistan: Analysis of the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey

Background

Childhood vaccination plays a key role in reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Numerous studies have assessed the influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on child immunization around the world. There are few such studies in Afghanistan, however. Therefore, this study aimed to identify factors influencing vaccination status among children age 12–23 months in Afghanistan.

Materials and methods

Nationally representative data from the 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey were used for this study. A sample of 5,708 children age 12–23 months with a vaccine card and immunization history was analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify significant relationships between cofactors and vaccination status.

Results

In the study, 51% the subjects were boys, 48% were born at home, and 76% were residents of rural areas. Background characteristics positively associated with vaccination status included delivery in a health facility (RRR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.9–3.3), maternal age of 30–39 years (RRR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.2–4.1), attending at least four visits for antenatal care (RRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.7–4.5), health facility visit in the past 12 months (RRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5), paternal professional occupation (RRR = 4.9, 95% CI = 2.0–12.3), family with richer wealth index (RRR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.4–4.1), and living in the northeast region (RRR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.2–3.9)were positively associated with vaccination status. Living in the southern region (RRR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.2–0.5) was negatively associated with vaccination status.

Conclusion

This study identified maternal age, ANC visits, place of delivery, health facility visits in past 12 months, paternal occupation, wealth quintile, and geographic region as the factors influencing child’s vaccination status in Afghanistan.

Vaccine uptake and associated factors in an irregular urban settlement in northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Background

Globally, childhood immunization saves the lives of 2–3 million children annually by protecting them against vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2017, 116.2 million children were vaccinated worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, figures suggest that 19.5 million children around the world fail to receive the benefits of complete immunization.

Methods

This cross-sectional study analyzed vaccine uptake and the factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule in children of up to 36 months of age assisted by the family health strategy in an irregular settlement located in a state capital city in northeastern Brazil. This study was nested within a larger study entitled “Health, nutrition and healthcare services in an urban slum population in Recife, Pernambuco”, conducted in 2015. A census included 309 children, with vaccination data obtained, exclusively, from their vaccination cards records. An ad hoc database was constructed with variables of interest. Absolute and relative values were calculated for the socioeconomic, demographic, obstetric and biological data. To identify possible factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule, crude and multivariable Poisson regression analyses were performed, and conducted in accordance with the forward selection method with robust variance and the adjusted prevalence ratio was calculated with the 95% CI. Variables with p-values < 0.20 in the unadjusted stage were included in the multivariable analysis. The statistical significance of each variable was evaluated using the Wald test, with p-values < 0.05.

Results

Just half of the children (52,1%) was classified as complete vaccination schedule. In the final model, the factors associated with incomplete vaccination schedule were age 12–36 months and the mother who did not complete high school.

Conclusion

The percentage of vaccine uptake found was far below the recommendation of the National Childhood Immunization Schedule and was associated with child’s age and mother’s education level. Based on these findings, the family healthcare teams may elaborate vaccination strategies aimed at reaching the coverage rates established by the national immunization program. Optimizing coverage will ultimately prevent the resurgence, at epidemic level, of infectious diseases that are already under control in this country.

Spatiotemporal clustering analysis of Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccination coverage in Pakistan

Universal vaccination coverage is still far from desired targets in many global regions including Pakistan, despite the success stories and its scientifically proven benefits. EPI Pakistan vaccination coverage data 2012–2016, at district level was collected from Federal EPI Pakistan. District-wise population data were collected from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Descriptive statistics and sequence plots were performed in SPSS 13.0. Purely spatial scanning analysis was done in SaTScan 9.4.4 using discrete Poisson model for detection of low vaccination coverage clusters. Geographical information system (GIS) was used to display spatial patterns and clusters of low vaccination coverage districts in Pakistan. Average annual EPI vaccination coverage in each study year were; 70.98 in 2012, 69.39% in 2013, 66.74% in 2014, 61.47% in 2015, and 67.01% in 2016, respectively. Cumulative average national vaccination rate (2012–2016) for all types of EPI vaccines was 60.60%. Average national vaccination rate for BCG, OPV3, pentavalent3 and measles1 was 67.12%, 58.53%, 58.47%, and 58.29%, respectively. Spatial cluster analysis demonstrated that most of low coverage districts for BCG, OPV3 and pentavalent3 were from FATA and KPK; while measles1 low coverage districts belonged to Balochistan. Future research should probe factors involved in low vaccination coverage in high risk districts.

Timely completion of vaccination and its determinants among children in northwest, Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND

Timely vaccination is key to prevent unnecessary childhood mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases. Despite the substantial efforts to improve vaccination completeness, the effort towards timeliness of vaccination is limited with non-attendance and delays to vaccination appointments remaining a big challenge in developing countries. There is also a limited evidence on timeliness of vaccination. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors for timely completion of vaccination among children in Gondar city administration, north-west, Ethiopia.

METHOD

This study employed a community-based cross sectional study design. A sample size of 821 children aged 12 to 23 months were considered. Two stages random sampling technique was used to select study subjects. To account the effect of clustering, bivariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis were applied. The measures of association estimates were expressed as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Of the 774 children included for analysis, 498 (64.3%) were fully vaccinated while 247 (31.9%) were fully vaccinated on-time. Caregivers who had secondary education and above (AOR = 2.391; 95% CI: 1.317-4.343), from richest households (AOR = 2.381; 95% CI: 1.502-3.773), children whose mother attended four or more ante natal care visits (AOR = 2.844; 95% CI: 1.310-6.174) and whose mother had two or more post natal care visits (AOR = 2.054; 95%CI:1.377-3.063) were positively associated with on-time full vaccination. In contrary, caregivers aged above 35 years (AOR = 0.469; 95 % CI: 0.253-0.869], being vaccinated at health post (AOR = 0.144; 95%CI: 0.048-0.428) and travelling more than 30 min to the vaccination site (AOR = 0.158; 95%CI: 0.033-0.739) were negatively associated with on-time full vaccination. The random effects indicated that 26% of the variability in on-time full vaccination was attributable to differences between communities.

CONCLUSION

In this study, untimely vaccination was found to be high. Different individual and contextual factors were found to be associated with on-time full vaccination. Therefore, tailored strategies have to be designed and implemented to address people and the communities where they live. Moreover, timeliness of vaccination should be considered as important indicator of the immunization program performance in Ethiopia.

Determinants of Complete Immunization Coverage among Children Aged 11-24 Months in Somalia

Background

The general coverage of vaccination means the percentage of children in world who received the recommended vaccines and has existed over the past few years continued the same.

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with complete immunization coverage among children aged 11-24 months in Somalia.

Method

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Galkayo hospital in Mudug region Somalia. Systematic random sampling was carried out in to recruit 357 children between 24 and 11 ages. Well-structured questionnaires were filled by participants who gave their consent. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences version 21. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation, proportions, and range were used to summarize the data. Inferential statistics were used to test for association between the dependent variable and independent variables using the chi-square with the level of significance set at 5%.

Result

The age of the respondents was between 11 and 24 with a mean age of the 7.71 with standard deviation ±5.87, the level of education of the mother (p = 0.0001), the place of delivery of the baby (p = 0.0001), and the distance of the participants to health facility (p = 0.026533) were statistically significantly associated with immunization coverage. Final the full immunization coverage in Somalia is 20%.

Conclusion

The study is recommended to the government to increase the level of education of the mother; also, the study is recommended to increase the hospital delivery that may increase the immunization coverage in Somalia.

Women’s Autonomy Decision Making Power on Postpartum Modern Contraceptive Use and Associated Factors in North West Ethiopia

Background. Most postpartum women (95%) do not want pregnancy within 24 months after birth, however, 70% of them do not use modern contraceptives. In Ethiopia postpartum modern contraceptive use is low. Evidences show that women’s autonomy within the household is the most important thing in modern contraceptive use. Yet, there is dearth of information in Ethiopian context. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess women’s autonomy on modern contraceptive use and its associated factors among women who attended their children immunization service. Methods. Facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out from May 5 to Jone15, 2017 in sekota town and its surroundings among 415 women who attended immunization service for their children. Participants were selected by using a systematic sampling technique. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using pre-tested structured questionnaires. The data were entered into epi.info version7 and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. A P-value less than or equal to 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was set to test statistical significance. Result. The proportion of women’s decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use was 77.3%. Being counseled on postpartum family planning (2.29, 95% CI: 1.27, 5.71), discussed on postpartum family planning with their husbands (AOR = 14.62, 95% CI: 6.52, 32.75), and had the index child within one year after previous birth (AOR = 7.98, 95% CI: 2.52, 30.65) were found positively associated with women’s autonomous decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use. In addition, those women who knew that pregnancy could happen during the postpartum period (AOR = 6.53, 95% CI: 3.2, 14.12) were more autonomous in decision to use postpartum contraception. Conclusion. The proportion of women’s autonomous decision making power on postpartum modern contraceptive use was low. Those women who were counseled on postpartum family planning, discussed with partners, and those who knew that pregnancy could happen during the postpartum period had higher odds of autonomous decision making power. Therefore, strengthening counseling, educating on postpartum family planning, and encouraging women to discuss postpartum family planning with their husbands may improve women’s power.

Prevalence of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Children in Haiti, 2017

In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which calls for elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030 (definition: ≤ 0.1% hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] prevalence among children aged 5 years). The burden of chronic HBV infection among children in Haiti is unknown. We conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional serological survey among 5- to 7-year-old children based on a two-stage cluster design with two strata: West (includes metropolitan Port-au-Prince) and non-West (all other departments). We collected demographic, socioeconomic, and vaccination history data and tested for HBsAg using a rapid point-of-care test. We estimated HBsAg prevalence and evaluated the association of HBV infection with vaccination history, demographics, and socioeconomic characteristics. Of the 1,152 children, seven (0.5%, 95% CI: 0.2-1.2) were HBsAg positive. The HBsAg prevalence varied by region (West: 0.1%, 95% CI: 0.01-0.9; non-West: 0.7%, 95% CI: 0.2-1.9) (P = 0.1), gender (males: 0.7%, 95% CI: 0.2-2.4; females: 0.2%, 95% CI: 0.05-1.1) (P = 0.3), and caregiver's education level (none: 0.8%, 95% CI: 0.2-3.1; some or completed primary: 0.5%, 95% CI: 0.1-1.8; some secondary: 0.4%, 95% CI: 0.1-1.8; secondary and higher: 0.0%, 95% CI: 0-0), although the differences were not statistically significant. None of the HBsAg-positive children had documented vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine (HepB). Haiti's chronic HBV infection prevalence among children is low; however, it is above the elimination target. To reach elimination, Haiti needs to achieve high coverage with the three HepB doses and introduce a HepB birth dose.