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Vaccination timeliness and completeness among preterm and low birthweight infants: a national cohort study

Dov Bary-Weisberg1, Chen Stein-Zamir1,2

  • 1The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Medicine, Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
|December 16, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Vaccinating premature and low birthweight infants is safe and effective, but initiation is often delayed. This study found significant delays in vaccination start times for these vulnerable infants, though coverage reached similar levels by 24 months.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Immunology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Premature and low birthweight (LBW) infants are at higher risk for infections.
  • Despite recommendations, vaccination initiation is often delayed in these vulnerable populations.
  • Timely vaccination is crucial for protecting infants against serious infectious diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate vaccination coverage (VC) and timeliness in preterm and LBW infants compared to term infants.
  • To identify delays in vaccination initiation among LBW and preterm infants.
  • To evaluate the impact of birthweight and gestational age on vaccination schedules.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of 181,543 infants born in Israel in 2016 was conducted.
  • Data was extracted from the National Immunization Registry, including vaccinations up to 24 months.
  • Vaccination coverage and timeliness were analyzed based on infant birthweight and gestational age.

Main Results:

  • LBW infants (BW < 2500g) showed delayed initiation for DTaP-IPV-Hib (OR 1.26) and Rotavirus (OR 1.22) vaccines.
  • Smaller newborns (BW < 1000g) exhibited higher rates of vaccination delay.
  • No significant differences in overall vaccination status were observed at 24 months between LBW and normal birthweight infants.

Conclusions:

  • While overall vaccination coverage is achieved by 24 months, there are considerable delays in initiating vaccines for LBW infants.
  • Targeted interventions are needed to improve timely vaccination initiation in preterm and LBW infants.
  • Collaboration between healthcare providers and parents is essential to ensure optimal infant immunization.

Keywords:
Vaccinationlow birthweightpreterm infantspublic healthvaccination coverage

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