Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search

Author index

Page Path
HOME > Browse articles > Author index
Search
Ali Rifaat Alhaddad 1 Article
The vaccination coverage rate in under-5 children in Nasiriyah, Iraq before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ali Rifaat Alhaddad, Elham Ahmadnezhad, Akbar Fotouhi
Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022035.   Published online March 14, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022035
  • 11,446 View
  • 329 Download
  • 4 Web of Science
  • 5 Crossref
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDF
Abstract
providOBJECTIVES: This study compared the vaccination coverage rate (VCR) in children under 5 years old in Nasiriyah, Iraq before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Nasiriyah in southeastern Iraq, with data collected from 79 primary healthcare facilities. This study evaluated the VCR in 3 periods (2018, 2019, and 2020) using multi-level random sampling. Pertinent data were extracted from the vaccination records of 598 children for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG); pentavalent 1, 2, and 3; measles; and activated oral poliovirus vaccine 1 and 2. Missing data were completed by telephone calls to participants’ parents. Logistic regression was applied to compare and estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between VCR and related factors.
RESULTS
The data showed the greatest decline in the studied vaccines in 2020. Among the vaccines studied, BCG had the highest rate in all 3 periods (100% VCR) and measles had the lowest rate (83.7%), reaching 63.6% in 2020 (p<0.001). The highest OR among all types of vaccine were found for the pentavalent-3 vaccine among city dwellers and those born in 2020 (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.39 to 5.10 and OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.28 to 4.28, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
The VCR for children decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq, and new health policies are needed to increase the coverage rate. Improving the knowledge and attitudes of parents, as well as removing barriers or risk factors, can also be effective in improving the VCR.
Summary
Key Message
Vaccination is one of the most important essential health services. COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the coverage of vaccination among under five.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • How the COVID-19 pandemic affected infant vaccination trends in rural and urban communities in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study
    Awwal Adetunji Adegoke, Folusho Mubowale Balogun
    BMJ Open.2024; 14(7): e073272.     CrossRef
  • The impact of coronavirus pandemic shutdowns on immunization completion in Hadeetha, Anbar, Iraq: A case-study of vaccine completion in a recovering healthcare system
    Sara Al-Dahir, Tahseen Abdul Latif Hassan, William Moss, Alaa Khalil, Gilbert Burnham, Maria Deloria Knoll, S.M. Moazzem Hossain, Kawsar Talaat
    Vaccine.2024; : 126383.     CrossRef
  • COVID-19 infections among Iraqi school students: Severity, types, and symptoms
    Saad Hantoosh
    Journal of Medicine and Life.2023; 16(10): 1552.     CrossRef
  • Current Impact and Long-Term Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iraqi Healthcare Systems: A Case Study
    Taysir Al Janabi, Sunny Chung
    Epidemiologia.2022; 3(4): 412.     CrossRef
  • Dropout of Vaccination Among Iraqi Children
    Maha. A. Kadim, Anees Flayyih Abdulhasan, Zainab Abdulameer Abdulrasol, Ali Fadhil Obaid
    South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities.2022; 3(6): 163.     CrossRef

Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health
TOP