Objective:
To rapidly increase childhood
immunization through a preventive, multi-
antigen,
vaccination campaign in Mambéré-Kadéï prefecture,
Central African Republic, where a conflict from 2012 to 2015 reduced
vaccination coverage.
Methods:
The three-round campaign took place between December 2015 and June 2016 using (i) oral
poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV); (ii) combined
diphtheria,
tetanus and
pertussis (DTP)
vaccine, Haemophilus influenza type B (
Hib) and
hepatitis B (DTP
Hib
hepatitis B)
vaccine; (iii) pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine (PCV); (iv)
measles vaccine; and (v)
yellow fever vaccine. Administrative data were collected on
vaccines administered by
age group and
vaccination coverage surveys were carried out before and after the campaign.
Findings:
Overall, 294 054
vaccine doses were administered.
Vaccination coverage for
children aged 6 weeks to 59 months increased to over 85% for the first doses of OPV, DTP
Hib
hepatitis B vaccine and PCV and, in
children aged 9 weeks to 59 months, to over 70% for the first
measles vaccine dose. In
children aged 6 weeks to 23 months, coverage of the second doses of OPV, DTP
Hib
hepatitis B vaccine and PCV was over 58% and coverage of the third doses of OPV and DTP
Hib
hepatitis B vaccine was over 20%. Moreover, 61% (5804/9589) of
children aged 12 to 23 months had received two PCV doses and 90% (25933/28764)
aged 24 to 59 months had received one
dose.
Conclusion:
A preventive, multi-
antigen,
vaccination campaign was effective in rapidly increasing
immunization coverage in a post-conflict setting. To sustain high coverage, routine
immunization must be reinforced