Low immunization coverage in Wonago district, southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Immunization is a critical, cost-effective public health intervention preventing millions of deaths globally.
• Despite progress, Ethiopia faces challenges in achieving universal vaccination coverage, with only 39% of children fully vaccinated in 2016.
• This study investigates immunization coverage and its determinants in Ethiopia's Wonago district.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the immunization coverage rates among children aged 6-36 months in the Wonago district.
• To identify individual and community-level factors associated with incomplete vaccination coverage.

Main Methods:

• A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Wonago district, southern Ethiopia.
• A nested sample of 1,116 children aged 6-36 months and 923 mother-child pairs were included.
• Multilevel regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of complete immunization.

Main Results:

• Complete immunization coverage was 52.4% among children aged 12-36 months.
• Significant predictors for complete immunization included older maternal age, higher antenatal care utilization, tetanus-toxoid vaccination during pregnancy, maternal knowledge of vaccination schedules, and vitamin A supplementation.
• Female infants were less likely to be fully immunized (AOR = 0.64).

Conclusions:

• Low immunization coverage was observed in the Wonago district, with significant community-level variations.
• Enhancing maternal healthcare services and community engagement are crucial for improving vaccination rates.
• Targeted interventions addressing identified predictors can help achieve universal child immunization.