Abstract
Background/Objectives: Performance of the vaccination programme in Nigeria is lower than the regional average as well the 95% target necessary for sustained control of vaccine preventable diseases. This study is aimed at assessing the vaccination coverage and its associated factors in children aged 11 - 23 months in Enugu Metropolis. Methods: A cross sectional study in which caregivers and their children pair, aged 11 - 23 months attending children’s outpatient clinics in Enugu metropolis was undertaken. Respondents were selected consecutively while data were collected using pretested interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 while level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of full vaccination. Results: Of 351 subjects studied, 84.9% (298) were fully immunized according to the national programme on immunization schedule using both vaccination cards and history. The OPV0, OPV3, pentavalent-1, pentavalent-3 and measles coverage at the time of survey were 100.0%, 97.2%, 98.0%, 98.6%, 96.9% and 95.4%, respectively. On logistic regression: maternal occupation (government employees), children born in government hospitals and knowledge of when to start and complete vaccinations in a child were the likely predictors for completion of full vaccination in the children. Conclusion: The vaccination coverage among the study group was adjudged to be relatively high. Delivery of a child in a government hospital and the knowledge of the age when routine vaccinations should begin and end in a child were the independent predictors of the high vaccination coverage rate observed. Awareness and health education efforts in government tertiary hospitals should be extended to private and other hospitals to improve and sustain national vaccination coverage in Nigeria.
Highlights
The expanded programme on immunization (EPI) was established in 1974 by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the mandate of ensuring full accessibility of the routine vaccines by all children
In spite of all the improvements in global coverage of routine vaccinations in children especially Diphtheria-PertussisTetanus Toxoid (DPT3) containing vaccine—third dose coverage from 5% in 1974 to 83% in 2011 globally, almost one-fifth of the world’s children had not received the DPT3 series during their first year of life [1]
Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) have been reported to account for 17% of global under five mortality per annum [6], while in Nigeria 27% of child mortality amounting to over 200,000 deaths per year have been attributable to VPDs [7]
Summary
The expanded programme on immunization (EPI) was established in 1974 by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the mandate of ensuring full accessibility of the routine vaccines by all children. In spite of all the improvements in global coverage of routine vaccinations in children especially Diphtheria-PertussisTetanus Toxoid (DPT3) containing vaccine—third dose (which is a key indicator of immunization programme performance) coverage from 5% in 1974 to 83% in 2011 globally, almost one-fifth of the world’s children had not received the DPT3 series during their first year of life [1] Most of these unvaccinated children live in developing countries [2], Nigeria with a teeming population of about 167 million people [3], and an annual population growth rate of 2.7% [4]. Current national estimates revealed DPT3 average of 71% and oral polio vaccine third dose (OPV3) coverage of 62% with lower coverage noted across the northern states [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
