Childhood Vaccination Coverage Research Articles

Vaccination coverage in children in the state of Minas Gerais between 2018 and 2021: evaluation of the possible impact of COVID-19 on child immunization

Vaccination coverage in children in the state of Minas Gerais between 2018 and 2021: evaluation of the possible impact of COVID-19 on child immunization

Spatial behavior of hepatitis A, MMR, and varicella vaccination coverage in the state of Minas Gerais, 2020.

To analyze the spatial behavior of hepatitis A, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), and varicella vaccination coverage in children and its relationship with socioeconomic determinants in the state of Minas Gerais. This ecological study investigated records of doses administered to children, extracted from the Immunization Information System of 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais, in 2020. We analyzed the vaccination coverage and socioeconomic factors. Spatial scan statistics were used to identify spatial clusters and measure the relative risk based on the vaccination coverage indicator and the Bivariate Moran Index, and thus detect socioeconomic factors correlated with the spatial distribution of vaccination. We used the cartographic base of the state and its municipalities and the ArcGIS and SPSS software programs. Hepatitis A (89.0%), MMR (75.7%), and varicella (89.0%) showed low vaccination coverage. All vaccines analyzed had significant clusters. The clusters most likely to vaccinate their population were mainly located in the Central, Midwest, South Central, and Northwest regions, while the least likely were in the North, Northeast, and Triângulo do Sul regions. The municipal human development index, urbanization rate, and gross domestic product were spatially dependent on vaccination coverage. The spatial behavior of hepatitis A, MMR, and varicella vaccination coverage is heterogeneous and associated with socioeconomic factors. We emphasize that vaccination records require attention and should be continuously monitored to improve the quality of information used in services and research.

Assessing Measles Vaccination Coverage in Children Under Five Years of Age in Developing Country

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the River Nile State, Sudan; known with increasing morbidity of Measles. The objective is assess Measles vaccination and possibly other factors leading to abnormal high level of cases. A community-based cross-sectional, descriptive study using a questionnaire was designed to collect data, a sample of 183 was collected, vaccination cards were viewed to obtain information about vaccination status directors of Epidemiology and Immunization de

Obuhvat obaveznom vakcinacijom na teritoriji Mačvanskog okruga u periodu između 2011. i 2021. godine

Introduction: The vaccine is one of medicine's oldest and most valuable inventions. It is a simple, safe, and effective way to protect against infectious diseases, a proven and cost-effective public health strategy that safeguards both individuals and the entire community. On the other hand, it has become a victim of its own success, as many vaccine-preventable diseases have become so rare that some people believe they have been eradicated forever, and do not understand the benefits of vaccination nor the risks of it not being conducted. This study aimed to analyze vaccination coverage throughout the Mačva District, in the period between 2011 and 2021. Materials and methods: The study used a retrospective analysis of secondary data from annual reports submitted by community health centers, in the territory of the Mačva District, for the period between 2011 and 2021. For the purpose of this study, vaccination coverage was calculated based on the number of newborn babies in a given year. Data from community health centers are submitted to the Institute of Public Health Šabac, which is in charge of these issues for this district. Each report contains the number of individuals subject to mandatory immunization, the number of persons who have been vaccinated, as well as the percentage of vaccinated persons as compared to the number of persons who should have been vaccinated. The correlation and regression method was used to analyze the vaccination trend, i.e., the value of the Pearson correlation coefficient was interpreted and the equation of the regression line was calculated. Results: In the Mačva District, mandatory vaccination coverage of children was observed in the period between 2011 and 2021. A negative trend was registered in vaccination coverage for all observed vaccines, except the trend related to vaccination for Haemophilus influenzae. Conclusion: When all of the vaccines are observed together, vaccination coverage has been declining during the observed period. During 2021, not a single vaccine achieved 95% coverage. The declining trend indicates the need to promote vaccination as the safest and most effective protection against infectious diseases.

Spatial analysis of vaccine coverage in children under the age of 1 year by mesoregions in a northeastern Brazilian state

Spatial analysis of vaccine coverage in children under the age of 1 year by mesoregions in a northeastern Brazilian state

Low COVID-19 vaccine coverage and guardian acceptance among pediatric transplant recipients.

To investigate COVID-19 vaccine coverage in immunosuppressed children, assess guardians' intention to vaccinate children, and determine reasons and associated factors. In addition, we attempted to capture the characteristics of them with Omicron.We obtained the vaccination coverage and guardian vaccine acceptance among pediatric transplant recipients through a web-based questionnaire conducted from April 12 to 28, 2022, and performed the statistical analysis. Seven organ transplant recipient children with Omicron were also clinically analyzed.The three-dose vaccine coverage for liver transplant(n = 563) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(n = 122) recipient children was 0.9% and 4.9%, and guardian vaccine acceptance was 63.8%. Independent risk factors for vaccine acceptance were the child's age, geographic location, type of transplant, guardian's vaccination status, guardian's level of distress about epidemic events, guardian's risk perception ability, anxiety, and knowledge of epidemic control. The main reasons for vaccine hesitancy were fear of vaccine-induced adverse events and doubts about efficacy. Ultimately, most children infected with Omicron have mild or no symptoms and are infected by intra-family.Since vaccine coverage and guardian acceptance are lowest among liver transplant children, and the infected are mainly intra-family, we should devise more targeted education and vaccination instructions for their guardians.

Effects of mobile APP for immunization on vaccination compliance of migrant children in southwest China: A community trial study

ABSTRACT With the advancement of the “internet plus” action plan in China, the electronic information system and the mobile phone applications (APPs) are widely used in the management of expanding national program of immunization (EPI). To estimate the use of childhood vaccination APP to improve migrants’ vaccination knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), a community trial toward migrant children was carried out in Chongqing, China. Migrant children were divided into two groups, one group was provided with health education and vaccination reminders in manual way and the other group was provided with online health education and vaccination reminders by mobile APP. After seven-month interventions, a total of 196 guardians of migrant children aged 2 months to 2 y participated in the questionnaire survey. There were significant differences between two groups in the awareness of vaccine policy, disposal of adverse reaction and attitude toward vaccination. Few significant differences in vaccination coverage of children ≤12 months between two groups, except 2ndbOPV and 2ndMenA. The timely vaccination rate of children >6 months in the APP group ranged from 37.5% to 68.2%, that was from 0% to 30.5% in the non-APP group (P < .05). Most migrant children above 6 months had vaccination within a month after due day in the APP group, while that was at least 3 months after due day in the non-APP group. The vaccination APP greatly improved migrants’ KAP on vaccination. Continuous and systematic intervention by vaccination APP would play a more critical role in the vaccination behaviors of older migrant children.

Childhood immunization coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Siracusa, Italy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted routine immunization activities and a decline in vaccination coverage has been documented around the world. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination coverage in the Province of Siracusa, Italy. We compared 2020 and 2019 vaccination coverage by age group and vaccine type. Results were considered statistically significant at a two-tailed p-value ≤ 0.05. Our findings show that vaccination coverage rates for mandatory and recommended vaccinations decreased in 2020 compared with the previous year (range from -1.4% to -7.8%). Anti-rotavirus vaccination increased (+4.8%, as compared to 2019), while the reductions observed for polio vaccination (hexavalent) and human papillomavirus vaccination in males were not statistically significant. The reduction did not hit the population in the same manner, with the greater decreases observed for children aged > 24 months compared to the younger (-5.7% vs -2.2%) and for booster doses compared to the primary vaccinations (-6.4% vs -2.6%). This study found that vaccination coverage of routine childhood immunisations was negatively affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Province of Siracusa. It is of huge importance to put in place some catch-up programs to ensure vaccinations at the earliest of individuals who missed immunization during the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccine coverage disparities in rural and farm children

BackgroundThe risks of severe outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are elevated in unvaccinated individuals. It remains crucial to understand patterns of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in younger and remote populations where coverage often lags. This study examined disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage in farm children and adolescents. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted in patients of the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) in Wisconsin. The sample included children/adolescents age 5–17 years who were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine initiation for ≥ 90 days (as of September 30, 2022), stratified by those who lived vs did not live on a farm. Outcomes included COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between COVID-19 vaccination and farm, as well as rural and non-rural, residence. ResultsThere were 47,104 individuals (5% farm residents) in the sample. Overall, 33% of participants initiated and 31% completed the COVID-19 vaccine series. After adjustment, farm residence was associated with significantly lower odds of COVID-19 vaccine initiation (aOR [95% CI] = 0.68 [0.61, 0.75], p < 0.001), series completion (aOR = 0.67 [0.60, 0.75], p < 0.001), and booster receipt (aOR = 0.73 [0.61, 0.88], p = 0.001). Secondary analyses found COVID-19 vaccine coverage was lowest in young children who lived on dairy farms. ConclusionsCOVID-19 vaccine coverage is low in north-central Wisconsin children and adolescents. Those who live on farms have significantly lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine initiation, series completion, and booster receipt compared to non-farm counterparts. Farm families are an underserved group and require more effective public health interventions designed to prevent COVID-19.

Vaccination coverage in Italian children and antimicrobial resistance: an ecological analysis

BackgroundAlthough a general consensus that vaccines could be a complementary strategy against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), there is still the need for studies investigating the relationship between childhood vaccination coverage and AMR proportions in the overall population.MethodsWe performed an ecological analysis of available Italian data (vaccination coverages, AMR proportions, number of isolates tested, and antibiotic use) to evaluate the relationships between vaccination coverages in children and AMR proportions in the last 2 decades.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, we showed that AMR proportions decreased with increasing vaccination coverages, especially for some combinations of vaccines, pathogens, and antimicrobials. Vaccination coverages for pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus were inversely related to proportions of E. coli resistant to fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins, K. pneumoniae resistant to carbapenems and third generation cephalosporins, and P. aeruginosa resistant to piperacillin and tazobactam. Polio vaccination coverage was inversely related to proportions of E. coli and K. pneumoniae resistant to third generation cephalosporins.ConclusionsThese results, however, should be interpreted cautiously due to the ecological nature of our analysis. For this reason, further studies designed ad hoc should be encouraged to measure the impact of increasing childhood vaccination coverage on AMR.

Evaluation of "Catch Up to Get Ahead" efforts on administration of routine childhood vaccinations during COVID-19 pandemic, United States Indian Health Service, 2020.

Routine immunization rates in the United States (US) declined immediately after the US declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in March 2020. Decreases in childhood vaccination place children at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases and communities at risk for outbreaks from these diseases. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched "Catch Up to Get Ahead" in August 2020 to promote routine childhood immunization. The decline in mean coverage of the combined 7-vaccine series among children aged 19-35months was less in Indian Health Service (IHS) federal health centers that implemented "Catch Up to Get Ahead" compared to IHS federal health centers that did not. The effort to promote catch-up vaccination may have showed promise in minimizing the decline in childhood vaccination coverage during the pandemic. However, the effort was not enough to reach pre-pandemic levels, indicating the need for more robust and sustained efforts to catch children up on all delayed immunizations.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in children in Brazil: A literature review

Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions for children that has helped to reduce child mortality worldwide. In view of the above, the present study aimed to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in children in the literature. This is a literature review, carried out between October 2021 and May 2022. The electronic search was performed in the PubMed and Lilacs databases. In addition, the CAPES journal portal was accessed in order to search for dissertations and theses that complemented the work. The search was performed using a combination of the search terms “vaccination”, “children”, “impact”, “COVID-19” and the Boolean operator “AND”. The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a reality of confinement around the world, impacting all sectors, especially health, including vaccination coverage of children. The pandemic has shown negative effects on vaccination efforts and programs, where studies report that millions of babies received delayed vaccines. This situation has brought challenges to the application of the National Vaccination Calendar, especially for children up to 12 months of age who have had their vaccines delayed, showing that in emergency situations additional strategies are needed, such as greater public awareness and vaccination booster campaigns.

Potential Impacts of Mass Nutritional Supplementation on Measles Dynamics: A Simulation Study.

The bidirectional interaction between undernutrition and infection can be devastating to child health. Nutritional deficiencies impair immunity and increase susceptibility to infection. Simultaneously, infections compound undernutrition by increasing metabolic demand and impairing nutrient absorption. Treatment of acute malnutrition (wasting) can reverse some of its deleterious effects and reduce susceptibility to infectious diseases. Nutrition-specific approaches may be packaged with other interventions, including immunization, to support overall child health. To understand how mass nutritional supplementation, treatment of wasting, and vaccination affect the dynamics of a vaccine-preventable infection, we developed a population-level, compartmental model of measles transmission stratified by age and nutrition status. We simulated a range of scenarios to assess the potential reductions in measles infection and mortality associated with targeted therapeutic feeding for children who are wasted and with a mass supplementation intervention. Nutrition interventions were assumed to increase engagement with the health sector, leading to increased vaccination rates. We found that the combination of wasting treatment and mass supplementation coverage followed by an increase in vaccination coverage of non-wasted children from a baseline of 75% to 85%, leads to 34% to 57% and 65% to 77% reduction in measles infection and mortality and 56% to 60% reduction in overall mortality among wasted children, compared with the wasting treatment alone. Our work highlights the synergistic benefits that may be achieved by leveraging mass nutritional supplementation as a touch point with the health system to increase rates of vaccination and improve child survival beyond what would be expected from the additive benefits of each intervention.

Trends in HPV vaccine administration and HPV vaccine coverage in children by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status during the COVID-19 pandemic in an integrated health care system in California

BackgroundWe sought to evaluate the trends of HPV vaccination between 03/2019–09/2021 and whether the impact of the COVID pandemic on HPV vaccination varied by race/ethnicity and neighborhood deprivation index (NDI). MethodsElectronic medical records at Kaiser Permanente Southern California were used to assess monthly volume of HPV vaccine doses administered among children aged 9–12.9yrs, and up-to-date coverage (% vaccinated) by age 13 between 03/2019–09/2021. Modified Poisson models were used to evaluate the interactions between race/ethnicity, NDI and the pandemic periods on HPV vaccine coverage. ResultsHPV vaccine doses administered in 2020/2021 have returned to the 2019 level after the initial drop. The average up-to-date coverage in 05/2021–09/2021 (54.8%) remained lower than the pre-pandemic level (58.5%). The associations between race/ethnicity, NDI and HPV vaccine coverage did not vary due to the pandemic. ConclusionHPV vaccine promotion efforts are needed to address COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting impact on HPV vaccination coverage.

Child Vaccination Coverage in India and Its Impact: Evidence From NFHS-5 Factsheet

Background: In developing countries various childhood diseases lead the morbidity, mortality and irreversible losses which can be prevented by proper vaccination. This study was conducted to analyse the changing trends of childhood vaccination in India and its impact on childhood diseases and mortality, the trends in coverage of each vaccine along with identification of geographical areas of concern. Materials and methods: NFHS data published by Government of India was analyzed to see the trends in vaccination coverage, female literacy, childhood diseases and under-five mortality, along with online database search for relevant literature. Results: Total vaccination coverage in India has reached to 76.4% as per NFHS- 5 data. Orissa stands at the top with 90.5% coverage while Nagaland at the bottom with 57.9% coverage. Prevalence of childhood diseases and under-five mortality has reduced overtime accountable to increase in vaccination coverage as one of the major factors for same. Conclusion: Despite improvement in total vaccination coverage, the goal of Intensified Mission Indra Dhanush of 90% coverage still remains unachieved. There is reduction in childhood disease and mortality rate, but the pandemic has adversely affected these advances. Therefore, immediate steps should be taken to gain the lost ground.

Delayed Childhood Immunization and its Associated Factors in Children under 2 Years of Age in Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu District

Introduction: Immunisation is the most effective public health intervention for reducing morbidity and mortality among young children. Even though we have witnessed an increase in immunization status, the lag in vaccinating younger children and the rural-urban gap in immunizing kids is still a matter of concern. Any disruption in the ongoing immunization services might even contribute to the initiation of the secondary outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the immunization status of children under 2 years of age in Kelambakkam, along with the determinants of missed/delayed immunization using a semi-structured questionnaire to the parents of children below 2 years of age residing in Kelambakkam area of Chengalpattu district. Results: Delay in immunization was recorded in 34.28% of children among the entire study participants. Vaccines like MR1 (Measles, Rubella), and PCV Booster given at 9 months were delayed in 25% of children. Immunization delay and birth order of the baby were found to be significantly associated with each other. Conclusion: The delivery of basic health services like childhood immunization in Chengalpattu was majorly disrupted due to the ongoing pandemic. The findings of our study may be considered a basic reference for implementing any plan of action to improve childhood vaccination coverage during an epidemic or natural disaster or pandemic.

UK childhood vaccination rates fell last year in almost all programmes, figures show.

Vaccination coverage for young children fell last year in 13 out of 14 routine programmes across the UK, new data have shown. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) urged parents and guardians to ensure their children are up to date with all their routine childhood immunisations, warning that children faced serious health risks from missing them. In 2021-22 no vaccinations met the 95% target set by the World Health Organization. The latest statistics1 by UKHSA and NHS Digital for UK children up to 5 years of age show that in 2021-22:

Determinants of basic childhood vaccination coverage in European and OECD countries

ABSTRACT Vaccination coverage varies between countries and over time. Using official databases, we extracted data on 50 national-level immunization, socio-economic, demographic, healthcare, and cultural factors, and the uptake of the third dose of diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis vaccines (DTP3) and the first dose of measles-containing vaccines (MCV1) for 61 countries between 1990 and 2019. The main branch of the analysis included all covariates, while a secondary branch excluded life-expectancy and child mortality. The statistical analysis was completed in three stages: a variable-selection stage via random forests; multilevel multiple imputation for missing data in the reduced dataset; and generalized estimating equations (GEE) over all imputed datasets with pooled results. Less than 20 covariates were retained after variable-selection. Among a relatively small number of statistically significant (p-value <.05) effects in the pooled GEE results of our main branch, under-5 mortality and long-term orientation culture showed negative associations with both uptake outcomes and GDP per capita a positive association. For MCV1, whether a second dose was integrated into routine immunization appeared as the overall strongest negative correlate. In the secondary analytical branch, results were largely consistent, with a few additional statistically significant effects emerging, mainly related to immunization and healthcare system characteristics. These insights improve our understanding of the main factors influencing vaccine uptake, some of which are broadly contextual (e.g., GDP, socio-cultural factors), requiring bespoke vaccine program approaches, in order to maximize childhood vaccine uptake over time.

Occurrence of yellow fever outbreaks in a partially vaccinated population: An analysis of the effective reproduction number.

BackgroundYellow fever is endemic in Africa and the Americas, occurring in urban or sylvatic environments. The infection presents varying symptoms, with high case-fatality among severe cases. In 2016, Brazil had sylvatic yellow fever outbreaks with more than 11 thousand cases, predominantly affecting the country’s Southeast region. The state of Minas Gerais accounted for 30% of cases, even after the vaccine had been included in the immunization calendar for at least 30 years.Methodology and principal findingsWe applied parameters described in the literature from yellow fever disease into a compartmental model of vector-borne diseases, using namely generation time intervals, vital host and vector parameters, and force of infection, using macroregions as the spatial unit and epidemiological weeks as the time interval. The model permits obtaining the reproduction number, which we analyzed from reported cases of yellow fever from 2016 to 2018 in residents of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Minas Gerais recorded two outbreak periods, starting in EW 51/2016 and EW 51/2017. Of all the reported cases (3,304), 57% were men 30 to 59 years of age. Approximately 27% of cases (905) were confirmed, and 22% (202) of these individuals died. The estimated effective reproduction number varied from 2.7 (95% CI: 2.0–3.6) to 7.2 (95% CI: 4.4–10.9], found in the Oeste and Nordeste regions, respectively. Vaccination coverage in children under one year of age showed heterogeneity among the municipalities comprising the macroregions.ConclusionThe outbreaks in multiple parts of the state and the estimated Re values raise concern since the state population was partially vaccinated. Heterogeneity in vaccination coverage may have been associated with the occurrence of outbreaks in the first period, while the subsequent intense vaccination campaign may have determined lower Re values in the second period.

Racism and health: the need for urgent action

Racism and health: the need for urgent action