Study on Vaccination State in Children: Jeonbuk Province, 2000

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to obtain the vaccination rate and age appropriateness of vaccination in children under five years of age in Jeonbuk province. METHODS: Eight hundred and fifty infants and children were enrolled in this study. Vaccination rate(Number of vaccinees/Number of subjects), places of vaccination, age appropriateness of vacination were examined by either vaccine record review or interview with parents or guardians. RESULTS: The salient features of the findings were as follows All subjects were aged under five and mostly under two years of age(68.8%). Places of vaccination were health centers or subcenters(50.4%), private clinics(44.3%), and general hospitals(5.3%). Routine vaccinations such as BCG, hepatitis B vaccine(HBV), diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis(DTaP) and Trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine(TOPV), measles, mumps, rubella(MMR), and Japaneses B encephalitis(JBE) were vaccinated mostly in health centers or subcenters, while chickenpox(CHP) and haemophilus influenzae vaccines(Hib), which are not routine in Korea, were vaccinated in private clinics. The vaccination rates of BCG(99.2%), HBV(93.5%) and DTaP(96.1%) were very high. But those of MMR(83.7%), CHP(72.5%), JBE(50.2%), and Hib(15.8%) were lower than expected. Considering the age appropriateness of vaccination, some infants and children were not appropriately vaccinated(vaccination rate/age appropriateness of vaccine; HBV, 93.5%/88.4% DTaP, 94.6%/73.1% JBE, 50.2%/ 18.5%). CONCLUSION: The vaccination rate of BCG, HBV, DTaP and TOPV was very high, but MMR, CHP, JBE, and Hib vaccination rate was not high enough to be able to protect against epidemic. We should pay more attention to vaccinating children, and there is a need for a program that will enhance coverage for vaccines.