ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the documented immunization coverage and degree to which schoolchildren's vaccination cards are kept up to date. METHODS: Transversal descriptive study of children in the second year of primary education in the province of Valladolid during the 1999-2000 academic year. The sample consisted of 698 children with a participation rate of 82%. The percentage of children whose immunization schedule was up to date in accordance with their age, that of children with additional vaccinations and the accuracy of the vaccination cards was quantified. Information was collected through a questionnaire on vaccination cards or, for children without one, from their medical history. RESULTS: The documented immunization coverage was 99.3% (95% CI: 98.6-99.9) for the first three dose of diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine and poliomyelitis vaccine, 98.9% (95% CI: 97.7-99.5) for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and 95% (95% CI: 93.4-96.7) for all doses up to the age of six. In addition, 7.2% (95% CI: 5.3-9.2) were immunized against hepatitis B, 14.4% (95% CI: 11.6-17) against Haemophilus influenzae type B and 90.3% (95% CI: 88-92.5) against meningococal A + C. A total of 84.4% of vaccination cards were correctly filled in (95% CI: 81.7-87.2). CONCLUSIONS: Systematic immunization coverage in the schoolchildren was high. Because of their accuracy, vaccination cards were a useful tool for determining immunization coverage. Both the accuracy of the vaccination card and the incidence of non-systematic immunization were higher in urban areas.
