Zeitschrift für Infektionskrankheiten und Medizin

Determination of Routine Vaccination Coverage Using Estimated and Survey Generated Population in Orhionmwon Local Government Area in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Ireye F, Bassey Enya B, Komakech W, Okocha-Ejeko A, Ali D, Agwai SI, Koko R, Igbu T, Maleghemi ST, Adanini J, Odia P, Ejiyere HO and Odiko D

Background: The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) aims at delivering primary immunization services to at least 90% of infants. This study seeks to evaluate routine vaccination coverage using estimated and survey generated populations and also investigates the reasons for inadequate levels of routine vaccination coverage. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in all 11,101 households spread across 111 communities in the 12 administrative wards of Orhionmwon LGA of Edo state in October 2016. Results: A total of 1209 children under the 0-11 month’s age bracket had been fully immunized. From this figure, 72.9% of the children had been fully immunized based on the actual population (1657) of children as discovered from this survey while 12.5% of the children in the same aforementioned age bracket had been fully immunized based on the projected target population (9625). Obstacles (40%), ‘lack of information (33%)’ and ‘lack of motivation (27%)’were the major reason why survey respondents didn’t participate in routine immunizations. Conclusion: Discrepancies in actual population of children for RI and poor access to RI services continue to negatively affect RI delivery mechanisms. We recommend the regular use of coverage surveys such as this for the estimation of actual target.