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Vaccination coverage for infants: cross-sectional studies in two regions of Belgium

Emmanuelle Robert1, Michèle Dramaix2, Béatrice Swennen1

  • 1Research Center of Health Policy and Systems-International Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

Biomed Research International
|June 28, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Infant vaccination coverage in Belgium is high, with nearly all children receiving initial doses. Maternal and child clinic attendance significantly impacts vaccine uptake, though education level does not. Efforts are needed to boost coverage for certain vaccine doses.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Infant vaccination is crucial for disease prevention.
  • Assessing vaccination coverage is essential for public health planning.
  • Understanding factors influencing vaccine uptake aids in targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate infant vaccination coverage in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region in 2012.
  • To identify factors associated with infant vaccination uptake.
  • To evaluate the need for improved vaccination strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional studies conducted in 2012.
  • Face-to-face questionnaires administered by trained investigators.
  • Retrospective evaluation of vaccination status in 18- to 24-month-old children.

Main Results:

  • High coverage for the first dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine-diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (IPV-DTaP) (approx. 99%) and pneumococcal vaccine (approx. 97%).
  • Coverage for the fourth dose of IPV-DTaP (90%) and MMR vaccine (94%) was also high.
  • Attendance at maternal and child clinics (MCH) was the most significant factor associated with vaccination coverage.

Conclusions:

  • While overall infant vaccination coverage is high, specific doses require improvement, particularly the fourth dose of hexavalent vaccine (DTaP-IPV-HBV/Hib).
  • Increased efforts are needed to reach herd immunity thresholds for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pertussis.
  • Maternal and child clinic attendance is a key factor in successful infant immunization programs.
Abstract

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