Abstract:
Background: Missed opportunities for immunization contribute to the low immunization
coverage seen worldwide adding to the pool of children who have not been effectively
immunized. These pockets of low coverage create a risk for the reintroduction of vaccine preventable diseases that have been eradicated, eliminated, or under epidemiological control.
Objective: -To assess the missed opportunity for routine immunization and its associated
factors among children aged <24 months in Dandi District public health facilities.
Methods: - Institutional -based cross sectional study design was conducted among 318
participants in Dandi District Public health facilities. From the eight public health facilities (4)
were selected randomly. Data were collected from April 12 to May 11; 2023 using the
standardized World Health Organization’s missed opportunity tool. The collected data were
checked; coded and entered to Epi data version 4.6.0.6 and exported to SPSS version 26.0 for
analysis. Descriptive results were presented using tables, pie charts and bar-graphs. All
variables with p-value <0.25 in Binary logistic regression analysis were entered to
Multivariable logistic regression to examine the statistical association. An adjusted odd ratio
together with 95% CI was used to identify the strength of the association. Finally, variables
with p value < 0.05 were declared that statistically significant association with missed
opportunity of immunization.
Results: A total of 318 children were involved in the study and the overall magnitude of
missed opportunity for routine immunization was 35.8 % (95% CI: 30.7%; 41.2%). Variables
like not having formal education (AOR=2.51 95%CI: 1.375, 4.583), being rural residence
(AOR=2.1; 95%CI: 1.028; 4.729), didn’t attending ANC (AOR= 3.687 95%CI: 2.017; 6.740)
and didn’t seen or heard vaccination message in the last month (AOR=2.882; 95%CI: 1.329;
6.250) were statistically significant association with Missed Opportunity of Immunization at p
value less than 0.05.
Conclusion : This study shows there is a high Magnitude of missed opportunity for routine
immunization among children <24 months and significantly associated with no formal
education, being Rural Place of residence, No ANC attendants of the Mother, no Information
seen/heard in the last months/vaccination of caregivers. So; all health centers should give
routine immunization services regularly, and all stakeholders work on reducing vaccine stock
out and strengthening community awareness creation.
