Supporting Immunization Uptake during a Pandemic, Using Remote Phone Call Intervention among Babies Discharged from a...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in routine childhood immunizations.
• Decreased immunization rates pose a significant risk to child health and increase susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases.
• The pandemic created barriers to accessing essential healthcare services, including vaccination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of phone-call counseling interventions on improving immunization uptake among infants.
• To assess the impact of tele-counseling on addressing barriers to childhood vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To determine if a phone-based approach can support immunization services and reduce the workload on healthcare professionals.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving families of infants discharged from Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) across six government centers in South India.
• Intervention group received phone-call counseling 10 days post-immunization due date, with follow-ups at 7 and 15 days for missed vaccinations.
• Data collected from 2097 participants who completed the survey, analyzing reasons for missed vaccinations and immunization uptake before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• The primary reasons for missed vaccinations included infant's poor health (64.1%), COVID-19 related concerns (32.6%), and lack of awareness (16.8%).
• Following the phone-call intervention, immunization uptake significantly increased from 65.2% to 88.2%.
• The intervention demonstrated a positive impact on vaccination adherence among the study population.

Conclusions:

• Phone-call counseling is a safe and effective strategy to improve childhood immunization rates, particularly during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This tele-counseling approach can help overcome barriers to vaccination and support existing immunization programs.
• Implementing such interventions can enhance public health outcomes and alleviate pressure on healthcare systems and workers.