Gedamu Tigist Enyew, Assemie Anmut, Aleye Leyla Temam, Woldemariam Meskerem Teketel, Argago Tsegaye Gebre, Buda Alula Seyum
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, Wachemo University, Hosanna, Ethiopia.
Department of Biology, Wachemo University, Hosanna, Ethiopia.
Front Pediatr. 2025 Aug 22;13:1566443. doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1566443. eCollection 2025.
Millions of children, particularly in low and middle-income countries, are deprived of a comprehensive vaccination schedule. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue by significantly disrupting vaccination schedules and other critical health initiatives. In light of this challenge, our study sought to evaluate vaccination coverage and identify its determinants among children aged 12-23 months in southern Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study. Three kebeles were purposively selected, with 415 households with 12-23-month-old children from each kebele selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using an adapted Ethiopian 2019 Mini Demographic Health Survey immunization coverage tool. Data were entered, cleaned, and checked using EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 24. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with a -value of <0.05 were considered significant determinants of full vaccination coverage.
Our study found that the full vaccination coverage rate among children in the study area was 44.5% (95% CI = 39.8-49.4). Households with two children were nearly twofold more likely to be fully vaccinated (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.01-3.95, -value = 0.047), children whose caregivers reported traveling to the nearest immunization site were nearly threefold more likely to be fully vaccinated (AOR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.38-5.57, -value = 0.004,), children who underwent multiple immunization schedules were less likely to be fully vaccinated (AOR = 0.068, 95% CI = 0.035-0.134, -value = 0.000), and children whose caregivers reported receiving information from television were twice as likely to be fully vaccinated (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.05-3.89).
In summary, our findings indicate a pressing need to address the identified determinants to improve vaccination coverage, which is currently below the World Health Organization's recommended levels. Therefore, targeted efforts must be made to enhance awareness and accessibility, particularly focusing on family size, logistical barriers, multiple immunization schedules, and effective communication through various media channels. Meeting the recommended vaccination rate will require coordinated action among healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities.
数以百万计的儿童，尤其是在低收入和中等收入国家的儿童，无法获得全面的疫苗接种计划。新冠疫情的出现极大地扰乱了疫苗接种计划和其他关键的卫生举措，加剧了这一问题。鉴于这一挑战，我们的研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚南部12至23个月大儿童的疫苗接种覆盖率，并确定其影响因素。
我们开展了一项基于社区的横断面研究。有目的地选择了3个 Kebeles，使用系统抽样技术从每个 Kebeles 中选取了415户有12至23个月大儿童的家庭。使用经过改编的埃塞俄比亚2019年微型人口健康调查免疫接种覆盖率工具收集数据。使用EpiData 3.1版本录入、清理和检查数据，并使用SPSS 24版本进行分析。进行了双变量和多变量逻辑回归分析。P值<0.05的变量被认为是全程疫苗接种覆盖率的重要决定因素。
我们的研究发现，研究区域内儿童的全程疫苗接种覆盖率为44.5%（95%置信区间=39.8-49.4）。有两个孩子的家庭全程接种疫苗的可能性几乎高出一倍（调整后比值比=1.99，95%置信区间=1.01-3.95，P值=0.047），其照料者报告去过最近免疫接种点的儿童全程接种疫苗的可能性几乎高出两倍（调整后比值比=2.78，95%置信区间=1.38-5.57，P值=0.004），接受过多次免疫接种计划的儿童全程接种疫苗的可能性较小（调整后比值比=0.068，95%置信区间=0.035-0.134，P值=0.000），其照料者报告从电视获得信息的儿童全程接种疫苗的可能性高出一倍（调整后比值比=2.02，95%置信区间：1.05-3.89）。
总之，我们的研究结果表明迫切需要解决已确定的影响因素，以提高疫苗接种覆盖率，目前该覆盖率低于世界卫生组织的建议水平。因此，必须有针对性地努力提高认识和可及性，尤其要关注家庭规模、后勤障碍、多次免疫接种计划以及通过各种媒体渠道进行有效沟通。要达到建议的疫苗接种率，医疗服务提供者、政策制定者和社区之间需要采取协调行动。
