Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah
Published on: June 24, 2025
Sociodemographic Risk Factors for Incomplete Routine Childhood Immunizations Among Children Born During the COVID-19
Arundhati Bakshi1, Nancy Zhao1, Suryatapa Kar1
1Immunization Program, Louisiana Department of Health, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Insights
Routine childhood vaccination rates declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic factors like distance to facilities and low-income or non-White census tracts were linked to incomplete vaccine series in children.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Childhood Immunization
Background:
- Routine childhood vaccination rates decreased nationwide for children born in 2020-2021.
- This decline occurred during widespread healthcare disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Identifying sociodemographic risk factors is crucial for understanding disparities in childhood immunizations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify sociodemographic risk factors associated with incomplete 7-vaccine series in children born during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To analyze individual and census-tract level factors linked to missed vaccine doses.
- To inform strategies for maintaining childhood immunization access during public health emergencies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Louisiana's Immunization Information System data for children born March 2020–July 2021.
- Assessed 7-vaccine series completion by 24 months of age.
- Employed regression analyses and machine-learning models, incorporating geocoded addresses to link social vulnerability factors with vaccination status.
Main Results:
- Children living farther from vaccination sites had higher odds of being short one dose (AOR=1.12).
- Residing in census tracts with higher low-income populations increased odds of being one dose short (AOR=1.14) and missing multiple doses (AOR=1.18).
- Children in areas with larger non-White populations had higher odds of missing multiple doses (AOR=1.07).
Conclusions:
- Socially vulnerable communities face significant barriers to routine childhood immunizations.
- Distance to healthcare facilities and socioeconomic/racial composition of neighborhoods are key risk factors.
- Further research is needed to develop best practices for ensuring healthcare access, including immunizations, for vulnerable populations during future health crises.
Objective:
Routine childhood vaccination rates declined nationwide among children born during 2020-2021 compared with prior birth cohorts. We identified sociodemographic risk factors associated with incomplete 7-vaccine series among children born during widespread health care disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
We retrieved childhood vaccination data from Louisiana's Immunization Information System for children born from March 1, 2020, through July 1, 2021, to identify completion status of the 7-vaccine series by age 24 months. After geocoding home addresses, we used regression analyses and machine-learning models to identify social vulnerability factors at the individual and census-tract levels that were associated with 1 or more missing vaccine doses.
Results:
Children residing a greater distance from the vaccinating facility (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.05-1.19; P = .002) and in a census tract with a larger low-income population than the statewide median (AOR = 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23; P = .006) had significantly higher odds of being 1 dose short of 7-vaccine series completion by age 24 months. Similarly, children residing in areas with a larger low-income (AOR = 1.18. 95% CI, 1.14-1.23; P < .001) and non-White (AOR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11; P = .04) population than the statewide median had higher odds of missing multiple doses of the 7-vaccine series by age 24 months.
Conclusion:
We need further research to identify and implement best practices that help socially vulnerable communities retain access to routine health care, such as childhood immunizations, during future public health emergencies.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:51Vaccinations
01:25Immunodeficiency Diseases
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency...
01:22Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:18Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...