THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN'S IMPACT ON ROUTINE CHILDHOOD VACCINATION

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Immunization Practices

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented global challenges to healthcare access, notably impacting routine childhood vaccination programs.
• Mandatory infant immunizations are critical for preventing infectious diseases and ensuring child survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency and extent of intentionally delayed infant immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nineveh, Iraq.
• To analyze vaccination coverage rates for infants up to 12 months old before, during, and after the pandemic's peak impact.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study analyzed vaccination data from Nineveh, Iraq.
• Data encompassed pre-pandemic (2019), pandemic (2020), and subsequent periods (2021-2022), covering all standard infant vaccination schedules.
• Vaccination visits during the March-May 2020 lockdown were compared to the same period in 2019.

Main Results:

• A 18.5% decrease in vaccination visits occurred during the March-May 2020 lockdown, with approximately 2726 children daily missing immunizations.
• All scheduled vaccines for infants under 12 months showed decreased coverage, with the lowest rates observed in March 2020 (61.0%).
• Specific vaccine coverages in March 2020 included IPV (70.25%), BCG (70.39%), Pentavalent (70.98%), HBV (74.33%), OPV (79.3%), Measles (79.45%), and MMR (87.34%).

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial negative effect on childhood immunization rates in Nineveh, Iraq.
• Although vaccination coverage showed recovery in subsequent months, it failed to reach pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
• Disruptions in vaccination schedules increase infants' vulnerability to preventable infectious diseases, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve immunization uptake and service delivery.