How often do children receive their vaccinations late, and why?

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Childhood vaccination is critical for disease prevention.
• Understanding vaccination timeliness is essential for public health strategies.
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, requires specific data on childhood immunization practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate vaccination timeliness in children under 3 years old in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• To identify risk factors contributing to vaccination delays.
• To determine the primary reasons cited for delayed immunizations.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah from May 2016 to August 2017.
• Data were collected from parents of 351 children using a structured questionnaire.
• Vaccination delay was defined as occurring more than 30 days past the scheduled date; logistic regression analyzed risk factors.

Main Results:

• 24.2% (85/351) of children experienced vaccination delays.
• Delays were most frequent for Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), meningococcal conjugate quadrivalent (MCV4), oral polio (OPV), and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) vaccines.
• Traveling during the vaccination period was the most common reason for delay, reported by 21.3% of parents.

Conclusions:

• Childhood vaccination adherence is relatively common in Jeddah.
• However, vaccination delays remain a concern and require targeted interventions.
• Improving vaccination timeliness is necessary to enhance child healthcare in the region.