Factors associated with measles vaccination status in children under the age of three years in a post-soviet context: a cross-sectional study using the DHS VII in Armenia

Annabell C Kantner,Erik M G Olsson,Sibylle Herzig Van Wees,Shirin Ziaei

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10583-5

Annabell C Kantner, Erik M G Olsson + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10583-5

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Abstract

BackgroundThe resurgence of measles globally and the increasing number of unvaccinated clusters call for studies exploring factors that influence measles vaccination uptake. Armenia is a middle-income post-Soviet country with an officially high vaccination coverage. However, concerns about vaccine safety are common. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of measles vaccination coverage in children under three years of age and to identify factors that are associated with measles vaccination in Armenia by using nationally representative data.MethodsCross-sectional analysis using self-report data from the most recent Armenian Demographic Health Survey (ADHS VII 2015/16) was conducted. Among 588 eligible women with a last-born child aged 12–35 months, 63 women were excluded due to unknown status of measles vaccination, resulting in 525 women included in the final analyses. We used logistic regression models in order to identify factors associated with vaccination status in the final sample. Complex sample analyses were used to account for the study design.ResultsIn the studied population 79.6% of the children were vaccinated against measles. After adjusting for potential confounders, regression models showed that the increasing age of the child (AOR 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03–1.12), secondary education of the mothers (AOR 3.38, 95% CI: 1.17–9.76) and attendance at postnatal check-up within two months after birth (AOR 2.71, 95% CI: 1.17–6.30) were significantly associated with the vaccination status of the child.ConclusionsThe measles vaccination coverage among the children was lower than the recommended percentage. The study confirmed the importance of maternal education and attending postnatal care visits. However, the study also showed that there might be potential risks for future measles outbreaks because of delayed vaccinations and a large group of children with an unknown vaccination status.

Highlights

The resurgence of measles globally and the increasing number of unvaccinated clusters call for studies exploring factors that influence measles vaccination uptake
We looked at factors representing health seeking behaviour, such as whether the distance to the health facility was perceived as a big problem or not, the number of antenatal care visits and attendance to a postnatal care visit two months after birth
Characteristics of the participants A total of 525 women and their last-born child in the age of 12 to 35 months were included in the study

Summary

Introduction

The resurgence of measles globally and the increasing number of unvaccinated clusters call for studies exploring factors that influence measles vaccination uptake. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of measles vaccination coverage in children under three years of age and to identify factors that are associated with measles vaccination in Armenia by using nationally representative data. Improvements in vaccination coverage during recent decades have led to rapid reduction in rates of vaccine-preventable diseases, but inequalities in vaccination coverage persist [4, 5]. Among those vaccine preventable diseases, measles is one of the most contagious [6]. Studies have shown that the measles-containing vaccine (MCV) prevent measles infection and is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality [5, 11]

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