scholarly journals Pandemics, epidemics and inequities in routine childhood vaccination coverage: a rapid review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e000842
Author(s):  
Nick Spencer ◽  
Rita Nathawad ◽  
Emmanuele Arpin ◽  
Samantha Johnson

Inequity in routine childhood vaccination coverage is well researched. Pandemics disrupt infrastructure and divert health resources from preventive care, including vaccination programmes, leading to increased vaccine preventable morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 control measures have resulted in coverage reductions. We conducted a rapid review of the impact of pandemics on existing inequities in routine vaccination coverage. PICO search framework: Population: children 0–18 years; Intervention/exposure: pandemic/epidemic; Comparison: inequality; Outcome: routine vaccination coverage. The review demonstrates a gap in the literature as none of the 29 papers selected for full-paper review from 1973 abstracts identified from searches met the inclusion criteria.

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e9
Author(s):  
Angela K. Shen ◽  
Cristi A. Bramer ◽  
Lynsey M. Kimmins ◽  
Robert Swanson ◽  
Patricia Vranesich ◽  
...  

Objectives. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunization services across the life course. Methods. In this retrospective study, we used Michigan immunization registry data from 2018 through September 2020 to assess the number of vaccine doses administered, number of sites providing immunization services to the Vaccines for Children population, provider location types that administer adult vaccines, and vaccination coverage for children. Results. Of 12 004 384 individual vaccine doses assessed, 48.6%, 15.6%, and 35.8% were administered to children (aged 0–8 years), adolescents (aged 9–18 years), and adults (aged 19–105 years), respectively. Doses administered overall decreased beginning in February 2020, with peak declines observed in April 2020 (63.3%). Overall decreases in adult doses were observed in all settings except obstetrics and gynecology provider offices and pharmacies. Local health departments reported a 66.4% decrease in doses reported. For children, the total number of sites administering pediatric vaccines decreased while childhood vaccination coverage decreased 4.4% overall and 5.8% in Medicaid-enrolled children. Conclusions. The critical challenge is to return to prepandemic levels of vaccine doses administered as well as to catch up individuals for vaccinations missed. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 7, 2021: e1–e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306474 )


Vaccine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (23) ◽  
pp. 3078-3087
Author(s):  
Mark Rohit Francis ◽  
J. Pekka Nuorti ◽  
Rajeev Zachariah Kompithra ◽  
Heidi Larson ◽  
Vinohar Balraj ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0247485
Author(s):  
Gillian Levine ◽  
Amadu Salifu ◽  
Issah Mohammed ◽  
Günther Fink

Background Despite progress in vaccination coverage, timeliness of childhood vaccination remains a challenge in many settings. We aimed to assess if mobile phone-based reminders and incentives to health workers and caregivers could increase timely neonatal vaccination in a rural, low-resource setting. Methods We conducted an open-label cluster randomized controlled 1:1:1 trial with three arms in 15 communities in Northern Ghana. Communities were randomized to 1) a voice call reminder intervention; 2) a community health volunteer (CHV) intervention with incentivized rewards; 3) control. In the voice call reminder arm, a study staff member made voice calls to mothers shortly after birth to encourage vaccination and provide personalized information about available vaccination services. In the incentive arm, CHVs promoted infant vaccination and informed women with recent births about available vaccination opportunities. Both CHVs and women were provided small monetary incentives for on-time early infant vaccination in this arm, delivered using mobile phone-based banking applications. No study activities were conducted in control communities. A population-based survey compared vaccination coverage across arms in the pre-intervention and intervention periods. The primary endpoint was completion of at least one dose of Polio vaccine within 14 days of life and BCG vaccination within 28 days of life. Results Six-hundred ninety births were identified; 106, 88, and 88 from pre-intervention and 150, 135, and 123 in the intervention period, in the control, voice call reminder and CHV incentive arms, respectively. In adjusted intent-to-treat analysis, voice call reminders were associated with 10.5 percentage point (95% CI: 4.0, 17.1) higher coverage of on-time vaccination, while mobile phone-based incentives were associated with 49.5 percentage point (95% CI: 26.4, 72.5) higher coverage. Conclusion Community-based interventions using mobile phone technologies can improve timely early vaccination coverage. A CHV approach with incentives to community workers and caregivers was a more effective strategy than voice call reminders. The impact of vaccination “nudges” via voice calls may be constrained in settings where network coverage and phone ownership are limited. Trial registration This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03797950.


Author(s):  
Cara Bess Janusz ◽  
Martin K. Mutua ◽  
Abram L. Wagner ◽  
Matthew L. Boulton

New vaccine introduction accompanied by social mobilization activities could contribute to improved routine immunization timeliness. This study assesses the impact of Kenya’s introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) on the timeliness of routine childhood vaccination in two informal, urban settlements in Nairobi. Data collected from 2007 to 2015 as part of a demographic surveillance system were used to estimate annual vaccination delays of ≥ 4 weeks among children aged 12–23 months in the period before and after the introduction of PCV in Kenya. Binomial segmented regression models using generalized estimating equations examined the association between vaccine introduction and timeliness of routine immunization. Over half of all children vaccinated in the two urban areas received one or more doses ≥ 4 weeks after the recommended age. The timeliness of routine immunization showed slight improvements or nonsignificant changes during the years following PCV introduction compared with the preceding years (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.45–0.99 for Bacille Calmette-Guerin receipt; aPR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41–0.83 for third dose Pentavalent receipt; aPR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.99–1.42 for measles). However, as of 2015, delayed vaccination remained prevalent in children, particularly among the poorest residing in the settlements. Many sub-Saharan African countries have introduced new life-saving vaccines into their routine childhood immunization schedule. Additional evidence regarding the positive or neutral influence of new vaccine introduction on the performance of delivery systems provides further justification to sustain the inclusion of these more costly vaccines in the immunization schedule.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (26) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lévy-Bruhl ◽  
Laure Fonteneau ◽  
Sophie Vaux ◽  
Anne-Sophie Barret ◽  
Denise Antona ◽  
...  

One year after the extension of the childhood vaccination mandates to the 11 routine vaccinations for children under 2 years old, we estimated vaccination coverage through vaccine reimbursement data. Coverage for children born in 2018 has notably increased. Moreover, vaccine coverage for children and for vaccines not concerned by the law have also shown an increasing trend, supporting a positive impact of the ongoing communication strategy on vaccination, beyond the extension of vaccination mandates.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1173
Author(s):  
Lidia Kuznetsova ◽  
Giorgio Cortassa ◽  
Antoni Trilla

There is a lack of comprehensive and systematic data and evidence regarding the effectiveness of mandatory and incentive-based vaccination schemes. The results of such programs in some countries have not been adequately studied. A number of countries have recently introduced tightening vaccination measures, and it is important to analyze and assess the results of these programs. The unprecedented situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mass vaccination made the topic of the effectiveness of vaccination policies and mandates even more relevant. The aim of the study is to assess childhood vaccination programs implemented in selected countries. The study focuses on initiatives implemented in the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO). A total of 466 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 26 articles on seven countries were included in the synthesis. Additionally, we obtained and performed an analysis of data on the impact of COVID-19 on vaccine coverage and incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases, and the implementation of vaccine mandates in the selected countries. The evidence collected and analyzed in this review allowed us to conclude that the introduction of children routine vaccination mandates increases vaccine coverage and reduces the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases when compared to the situation before the introduction of the mandates.


The Lancet ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Carolina Danovaro-Holliday ◽  
Katrina Kretsinger ◽  
Marta Gacic-Dobo

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e001060
Author(s):  
Anita Shet ◽  
Baldeep Dhaliwal ◽  
Preetika Banerjee ◽  
Kelly Carr ◽  
Andrea DeLuca ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in essential health services globally. We surveyed Indian paediatric providers on their perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on routine vaccination. Among 424 (survey 1) and 141 (survey 2) respondents representing 26 of 36 Indian states and union territories, complete suspension of vaccination services was reported by 33.4% and 7.8%, respectively. In April–June 2020, 83.1% perceived that vaccination services dropped by half, followed by 32.6% in September 2020, indicating slow resumption of services. Concerns that vaccine coverage gaps can lead to mortality were expressed by 76.6%. Concerted multipronged efforts are needed to sustain gains in vaccination coverage.


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