Timely Topics in Clinical Immunology

Barriers to full immunization among children in a muslim-majority town in the Southern nations, nationalities, and peoples region, Ethiopia

Global Vaccines & Vaccination Summit & B2B
November 01-02, 2017 | Toronto, Canada

Yemesrach A Tefera, Abram L Wagner, Eyoel B Mekonen, Bradley F Carlson and Matthew L Boulton

St. Paul′s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia University of Michigan, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts : Ann Clin Trials Vaccines Res

Abstract:

Vaccination is one of the most cost effective health interventions worldwide, but vaccine preventable diseases still contribute substantially to under age five morbidity in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess complete immunization coverage and its associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in Worabie town, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region. A crosssectional study was conducted in July and August 2016, using a systematic selection procedure of households. Health Extension workers assessed the vaccination status of the children based on vaccination cards or mother’s verbal reports. Full vaccination was defined as one dose Bacillus CalmetteGuérin, three doses pentavalent vaccine, three doses oral polio vaccine, three doses pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, two doses rotavirus vaccine, and one dose measles vaccine. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess which sociodemographic or knowledge-type factors were associated with immunization coverage. Among 484 children, 61% were fully vaccinated, 61% had ≥3 antenatal care (ANC) visits, and 74% were aware that vaccines prevented disease. Factors associated with full vaccination include the number of ANC visits (odds ratio (OR) of ≥3 vs. 0 visits: 7.2, 95% CI: 1.9-27.1), mother working outside of home (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3-3.5), and mother who hesitated to vaccinate their child (OR, 0.57, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9). Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12–23 months remains low. The number of ANC visits and work outside of the home were important predictors of full vaccination. Local interventions should raise awareness in the community of the importance of immunizations and antenatal care visits.

Biography:

Yemesrach Abeje Tefera has completed her master’s in public health from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. She was a Visiting Scholar in University of Michigan School of Public Health from September to December 2016. She is a Lecturer in Public Health Department and Director of Continues Professional Development (CPD) Center at St Paul‘s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) in Ethiopia. She has published two papers and submitted more than five papers.
 

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