Missed opportunities for immunization in children under 2 years attending an urban teaching hospital.

ABSTRACT

A cross-sectional survey was done to assess the missed opportunity for immunization (MOI) in children under two years of age attending Medical Outpatient, Newborn Follow-up Service and Immunization Clinic of Institute of Child Health and to evaluate interventions. Baseline survey phase-I was done and two interventions: (i) education and awareness of immunization among health personnel; and (ii) attaching immunization slip to the outpatient form were done. After each intervention phase-II and phase-III surveys were carried out. The data from the different phases were analyzed for the effect of interventions. The total number of children surveyed were 634; 423 from Medical Outpatients, 108 from Newborn Follow-up Service and 103 from immunization Clinic. MOI was 35.5%, 23.1% and 9.7% in the above health facilities, respectively. After intervention I, the MOI was 24.5% and 12.2% in Medical Outpatient and Newborn Follow-up Service and none in Immunization Clinic. After intervention-II there was an improvement in immunization of 18.4%, 30.4% and 16.0% in the three health facilities mentioned above. MOI was avoided because the medical officers advised immunization in the above children. The difference in the MOI among Medical Outpatient and Immunization Clinic between baseline, phase-I and phase-II were significant (p < 0.001). It is concluded that MOI can be brought down by creating awareness periodically and that attaching an immunization schedule to the outpatient forms is an effective method of reducing MOI.