Determinants of incomplete and no immunization

ABSTRACT

Expanded program for immunization [EPI] is working in our country for many decades but despite of the widespread campaign in print and audio-visual media, active efforts by health care providers, EPI coverage is not very satisfactory. In this study we tried to find out the reasons, why the parents attending a tertiary care hospital for treatment of their sick children, were not utilizing free services of vaccination. It was a comparative cross sectional study, conducted in paediatric department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. A questionnaire was designed and filled by the doctors and final year MBBS students. Informal consent was taken from parents of patients attending both the Pediatric OPD and Indoor department. The percentage of various vaccines received by those who were partially immunized were; BCG 42%, DPT 23.7%, Hepatitis B 6.2% and measles 1%. Hib vaccine was not included in national EPI schedule at the time of study. There was a marked difference in the causes of no immunization and partial immunization. The important cause in no immunization was lack of awareness in 46% of cases. In partially immunized group the important cause was adverse reaction to previous vaccination 7.2%, sickness of child in 18.5% and missing of vaccination card in 15% of cases while 66% have more than one cause. The poor compliance for EPI programme was mainly due to lack of awareness of the parents about importance of vaccination for their children