TITLE:
Determinants of Missed Vaccination Opportunities for Children Aged 0 - 23 Months in the City of Garoua under the Expanded Program on Immunization
AUTHORS:
Kamo Sélangaï Doka Hélène, Ateba Ndongo Francis, Tunsili Koulagna Pascaline, Abouame Haoua Palma, Souraya Haman, Mekone Isabelle, Mbardjouk Aoudi Stephane, Sap Suzanne
KEYWORDS:
Determinants, Missed Vaccination Opportunity, EPI, Children, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.5,
September
18,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: To enhance vaccination coverage, a study was conducted to identify the determinants of missed Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccination opportunities among children aged 0 to 23 months in the city of Garoua, Cameroon. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional analytical study carried out from October 2023 to May 2024 in the Garoua 2 health district of Cameroon. A three-stage sampling method was employed: selection of the health area (first stage), health facility (second stage), and infants (third stage) whose mothers/guardians were interviewed. A total of 390 children attended the various health facilities, and 300 mothers agreed to respond to the questionnaire. Data were recorded in a pre-prepared form and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Qualitative data were compared using the chi-square test, with p Results: The prevalence of Missed Vaccination Opportunities (MVOs) in the city of Garoua was 44.1%. Among the 300 children, 79.3% had an incorrect vaccination status and 83% had incomplete vaccination status. Vaccination completeness was 17%, with BCG and the third dose of pentavalent vaccine being the most frequently missed. Zero-dose children accounted for 13.3%. Factors associated with incorrect vaccination status included: mother’s age between 21 and 30 years, uneducated mothers, household monthly income below 50,000 CFA, and nomadism. Factors related to mothers’ knowledge about the importance of vaccination, lack of awareness of EPI target diseases, and fear of adverse events factors related to the health facility such as non-functional or absent cold chain and health center location and factors related to health personnel such as lack of education on management of adverse events and multi-dose vaccine packaging were all statistically associated with incorrect vaccination status. Conclusion: Specialization of vaccination services with separation of care units is necessary to optimally improve vaccination coverage in this population.