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Characteristics of Studies Focusing on Vaccine Series Completion Among Children Aged 12-23 Months in Sub-Saharan
Weiqi Li1, Fabrice Sewolo2, Andrew Aoun3
1Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Vaccine series completion in children aged 12-23 months in Sub-Saharan Africa is crucial. Research shows caregiver education and access to care influence completion, but gaps in data exist.
Area of Science:
- Childhood immunization
- Public health research
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Vaccine-preventable diseases are a leading cause of child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
- Complete childhood vaccine series are essential for optimal protection.
- Understanding research on vaccine series completion in SSA is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze the published literature on childhood vaccine series completion in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
- To identify research designs, methodologies, and common findings related to vaccine series completion in children aged 12-23 months.
- To highlight gaps in the existing research.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five major databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar).
- Included studies were published between January 2000 and December 2023.
- A total of 53 studies met the inclusion criteria.
Main Results:
- Cross-sectional designs were most common (60.4%), with a significant portion of studies from Ethiopia (43.4%).
- Prevalence and associated factors of vaccination series completion were primary research topics.
- Key factors identified include caregiver education, socioeconomic status, household characteristics, healthcare access, and maternal care utilization.
Conclusions:
- Methodological gaps were identified, including limited country representation and insufficient data on trends and inequalities.
- Future research should address these gaps to improve vaccine series completion rates.
- Enhanced evidence is needed to inform public health interventions in SSA.
Abstract:
Vaccine preventable diseases remain the leading causes of death among children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Background/Objectives:
As vaccines provide the best possible protection only when all required doses are received, it is essential to understand how the published literature is designed and conducted regarding the completion of recommended childhood vaccine series for children aged 12-23 months in SSA.
Methods:
A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) to identify the relevant literature published between January 2000 through December 2023.
Results:
A total of 53 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified from the five databases. Over half of the studies used a cross-sectional design (n = 32, 60.4%), and less than half of the studies were conducted in Ethiopia (n = 23, 43.4%). The prevalence and associated factors of vaccination series completion were the most commonly explored topics in the literature. The most frequently reported factors associated with vaccine series completion included the caregiver's education level, household wealth status, number of children under five in the household, knowledge of immunization, maternal education, place of residence, gender of the household head or decision maker, utilization of antenatal or postnatal care visits, place of delivery, distance to a healthy facility or travel time, and possession of a vaccination card.
Conclusions:
This scoping review identified methodological gaps in the published literature, including a lack of publications from many Sub-Saharan Africa countries and insufficient evidence on trends and inequalities in vaccine series completion. Future research on vaccine series completion is recommended to address these gaps.
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