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An effective and doable interventional strategy to enhance vaccination coverage - are we ready to change?
Muhammad Afzal1, Asma Yaqub1, Sobia Khalid1
1Department of Paediatrics, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Insights
Patient reminder calls significantly boost routine vaccination coverage. This intervention improved immunization rates for all vaccine antigens, ensuring more children receive timely protection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Routine vaccination coverage is crucial for child health.
- Missed appointments and delayed vaccinations are common challenges.
- Effective interventions are needed to improve immunization rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of patient reminder calls on routine vaccination coverage.
- To determine the effectiveness of a reminder call system in a Pakistani healthcare setting.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, interventional study involving 150 infants from December 2014 to August 2016.
- Parents' mobile numbers were collected at the first vaccination visit.
- Up to three reminder calls were made for missed appointments, with follow-up until 15 months plus 4 weeks.
Main Results:
- Initial reporting without calls varied from 34.66% to 66% for different vaccines.
- The first reminder call significantly improved reporting rates.
- Subsequent calls further enhanced coverage, with overall rates reaching 96%.
Conclusions:
- Patient reminder calls are a highly effective strategy for improving vaccination coverage.
- This intervention demonstrated a significant positive effect across all vaccine antigens.
- Reminder calls represent a valuable tool for public health initiatives aimed at increasing immunization rates.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of patient reminder calls on improvement of routine vaccination coverage.
Methods:
This prospective, interventional study was conducted at Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, from December 2014 to August 2016, and comprised babies enrolled at the time of 1st vaccination. Babies who were given bacillus Calmette-Guérin, oral polio vaccine were included. Mobile phone numbers of parents were noted. The 1st reminder call was given after 7 days if a baby did not report on the scheduled date. Similarly, 2nd and 3rd reminder calls were made after waiting for 7 days each time in case of non-reporting. Record of reporting and reminder calls was reviewed daily till all the enrolled babies crossed 15 months of age (scheduled time for 2nd dose of measles) plus 4 weeks.
Results:
A total of 150 babies were enrolled at the time of 1st vaccination. Reporting without call within 01 week of scheduled date ranged from 52(34.66%) to 99(66%) for different vaccines. The 1st reminder call showed maximum improvement in reporting rate. The range of vaccination rate reached from 91(60.66%) to 132(88%). The 2nd call improved coverage rate range from 108(71.99%) to 140(93.33%). The 3rd call improved coverage rate from 113(75.32%) to 144(96%). Overall coverage rate achieved ranged from 112.5(75%) to 144(96%).
Conclusions:
Patient reminder calls showed significant effect in improvement of vaccination coverage rate of all antigens.
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