Measles immunisation coverage in urban slums

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Immunization Practices

Background:

• Measles immunization is critical for child survival.
• Missed opportunities (MOs) for vaccination reduce overall coverage.
• Understanding MOs in urban slums is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of MOs for measles immunization in Udaipur slums.
• To identify the reasons behind these MOs.
• To estimate the potential impact of eliminating MOs on measles immunization coverage.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted in 32 Udaipur slums.
• 265 children aged 9-24 months were enrolled using cluster sampling.
• Data collected included immunization status, health facility visits, and reasons for non-vaccination.

Main Results:

• Measles immunization coverage was 50.61%.
• The prevalence of MOs for measles immunization was 14.3%.
• The primary reason for MOs was not offering vaccination during curative visits (86.9%).

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of children experienced MOs for measles vaccination.
• Integrating vaccination into curative care presents a key opportunity to improve coverage.
• Eliminating MOs could substantially increase measles immunization rates in the study population.