Assessment of Routine Immunisation Coverage of Children Under Two Years of Age in the Dabola Health District, Guinea

Abstract

Introduction: The accumulation of unvaccinated or poorly vaccinated subjects is generally at the root of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. The aim of this study was to assess routine vaccination coverage in children under two years of age and to identify the reasons for non-vaccination. Methods: This was a 10-day descriptive study in the Dabola health district in the Republic of Guinea. Sampling was random in three-stage clusters and a total of 14 clusters (village/neighbourhood) were randomly selected using the Open Epi tool. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using Epi Info version 7.2 software. Results: A total of 387 participants were included, of whom 32%, CI [27.81% - 37.12%] were fully vaccinated. The overall vaccination record possession rate was 76%, CI [71.74% - 80.20%]. Vaccination coverage by antigen ranged from 88%, CI [84% to 91%] for BCG to 33.59%, CI [26% to 42%] for MenA. The majority of respondents were female (92%, CI [88% to 94%]) with an average age of 27 ± 8 years. The majority did not attend school (87%, CI [84% to 90%]). The main reasons for not vaccinating were: poor reception by staff (27.38%, CI [22.08% - 33.19%]), lack of awareness of the importance of vaccination (21.67%, CI [16.85 - 27.15]) and vaccine shortages (15.21% CI [11.09% - 20.13%]). Conclusion: Increasing this coverage means multiplying efforts (taking into account the reasons identified for non-vaccination) at all levels of the health pyramid to enable these children to grow up in good health and free from any vaccine-preventable disease.