Vaccination card availability and childhood immunization in Senegal

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Maternal recall is recommended for vaccination status recording in countries with unreliable administrative systems.
• Maternal recall has shown reliability in developing countries compared to vaccination cards.
• This study investigates childhood vaccination coverage using maternal presentation of vaccination cards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess childhood vaccination coverage in Senegal using vaccination cards.
• To identify sociodemographic factors associated with childhood vaccination.
• To compare vaccination coverage estimates derived from vaccination cards versus maternal recall.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2017 Senegalese Demographic and Health Survey.
• Analyzed data for 4032 children aged 12-35 months.
• Employed weighted and stratified multivariate logistic regressions to assess vaccination coverage and determinants.

Main Results:

• Vaccination card presentation correlated with healthcare facility attendance and region of residence.
• Maternal education level was not correlated with vaccination card presentation.
• Significant differences in coverage estimates were observed for oral polio vaccine between card presentation and recall (93.0% vs. 32.0%).

Conclusions:

• Maternal recall is reliable for most childhood immunizations, but not oral polio vaccine.
• Lack of a vaccination card may indicate a weaker maternal healthcare bond, impacting vaccination uptake.
• Supply-side factors may play a larger role in vaccination decisions for mothers without vaccination cards.