Pages: (30-44 )
Abstract
Pentavalent vaccine remains one of the known effective preventive measures against Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD), protecting against five deadly diseases among infants and children, yet its uptake remains low in Nigeria in general. This study investigated the spatio-temporal pattern of pentavalent vaccine uptake among children in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State in 2020 and assessed the determinants of the pattern. The study was a community-based cross-sectional survey of sociodemographic characteristics associated with the level of awareness and use of childhood pentavalent vaccine in relation to actual vaccine uptake derived from the immunization record in the community. Thus, the study employed three methods, including retrospective data review of immunization registers from selected health centers, household survey using a pretested questionnaire and conversion of site name to map point. Residential addresses of immunized children were converted to map points using standard geo-referencing software. Spatial scan statistics was computed using SaTScan. Categorical analysis of variables associated with childhood pentavalent vaccine compliance among caregivers of high and low knowledge and attitude in the community was done using SPSS. Childhood pentavalent vaccine compliance rate of 54.3% was estimated among three spatio-temporal clusters of vaccinated children. A cluster of unvaccinated children was located along Owode-Iperu-Ijebu road in Iperu- Remo. There was a significant relationship between vaccine uptake and marital age, ethnicity and income of caregiver, respectively. In addition, there was a significant difference between the level of awareness about childhood vaccines among parents of vaccinated and those of unvaccinated children. Low level of awareness of caregivers was a major barrier to uptake and geographical coverage of immunization. The findings would be useful for planning towards achieving more effective intervention in childhood vaccine compliance in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Keywords: Childhood diseases, Pentavalent vaccine, Spatio-temporal pattern, Immunization.,