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

Abstract

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.

Prevalence, Trends and Conditions for the DTP3 Vaccine: A 25-Year Historical Perspective

“…Maternal education is an essential predictor of adequate health care and immunization status. 25 , 28 In the present study, mothers with less schooling and more children were 3.4- and 4-fold, respectively, more likely to present incomplete DTP3 doses. The contribution of education to attitude, tradition, and belief changes, together with increasing autonomy and decision-making power, can stimulate better family health conditions, including child vaccination.…”

Factors associated with accessing and utilisation of healthcare and provision of health services for residents of slums in low and middle-income countries: a scoping review of recent literature

“…Personal and biological factors: The common factors associated with healthcare accessing and utilisation included intrinsic factors such as age,21 39–55 sex18 21 41 45 51 53 55–58 and ethnicity,21 familial factors such as birth order of the sick child,21 46 59–61 as well as personal health and type of illness,45 58 disability47 and morbidity,21 51 62 63 and the specific features of the health condition 52 55 64. Slum residents are more likely to seek healthcare services when sick children are younger,48 49 52 55 but evidence on the association between mother’s age and child’s vaccination was inconsistent 21 39.…”

Number of doses of Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine applied in Brazil before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This scenario, added to the drop in vaccination coverage rates in recent years, point to a problem for collective immunity and the risk of outbreaks resulting from the measles virus [ 22 , 29 ]. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the regional inequalities in vaccination coverage in Brazil has favored the formation of pockets of susceptible individuals [ 12 , 22 , 30 ].…”