TITLE:
Associated Factors to Immunization Timeliness and Completion in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Essos Hospital Center Yaounde
AUTHORS:
Marie Kouya, Annie Carole Nga Motaze, Jeannette Epée Ngoue, Arsène Brunelle Sandie, Paul Olivier Koki Ndombo, Anne Esther Njom Nlend
KEYWORDS:
Prematurity, Low Birth Weight, Immunization, Timeliness, Completion
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.11 No.1,
February
9,
2021
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Vaccination is very often delayed in premature and
low birth weight infants. However, timely vaccination is even more important in
this population because of their increased susceptibility to infection. Objective: To assess immunization practice and
factors associated with vaccine promptness and completeness in former
preterm and low-birth-weight infants. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analytical
cross-sectional study (January 2017 to February 2019). Main Measurement: Promptness and completeness at each contact,
Statistical analysis was performed using R software version 3.6.2, logistic
regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) and their 95% Confidence
Interval (CI). Results: We recruited 310 children aged 12 to 36 months born
before 37 weeks with low birth weight, 163 (52.6%) of whom were female. Two
hundred and fifty-three had received the vaccines at the indicated age, with promptness rate of 81.6%,
and 97.7% had completed routine immunization at 9 months. The mean age at
vaccination initiation was 6 days ± 11 and the mean weight at vaccination initiation was
2233 g ± 494. High prematurity and very low birth weight were
associated with a high rate of vaccine delay: 61.5% [OR: 15.56; (CI:
3.22 - 118.52; p = 0.002)] and 66.7% [OR: 19.19; (CI: 4.67 - 92.52; p 0.001)]
respectively. Distance > 5 km with EHC [OR: 3.48; (CI: 1.68 - 7.47; p = 0.001)]
was associated with poor vaccination. Women
in common-law unions had the lowest vaccine readiness rate (60.6%), (OR:
3.36; CI: 1.006 - 10.70; p = 0.038). The frequency of occurrence of post immunization adverse events was 24.5%, with fever
type in 94.7%. Conclusion: Almost all premature and/or low-birth-weight
children hospitalized at Essos Hospital Center had completed routine
immunization at 9 months, and the majority
had received the vaccines in a timely manner. Similar study is needed
in rural area.