High vaccination coverage and inadequate knowledge: Findings from a community-based cross-sectional study on Japanese Encephalitis in Yangon, Myanmar

Abstract

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease with high case fatality and no specific treatment. Little is known about the community’s (especially parents/guardians of children) awareness regarding JE and its vaccine in Yangon region, which bears the highest JE burden in Myanmar. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in Yangon region (2019) to explore the knowledge and perception of parents/guardians of 1-15 year-old children about JE disease, its vaccination and to describe JE vaccine coverage among 1-15 year-old children. We followed multi-stage random sampling (three stages) to select the 600 households with 1-15 year-old children from 30 clusters in nine townships. Analyses were weighted (inverse probability sampling) for the multi-stage sampling design. Results: Of 600 parents/guardians, 38% exhibited good knowledge of JE, 55% perceived JE as serious in children younger than 15 years and 59% perceived the vaccine to be effective. Among all the children in the 600 households, the vaccination coverage was 97% (831/855). Conclusion: In order to reduce JE incidence in the community, focus on an intensified education program is necessary to sustain the high vaccine coverage in the community.

Coverage of Japanese encephalitis routine vaccination among children in central India

“…Studies reported earlier could hardly verify the vaccine doses using the vaccination cards, as they were not available to estimate vaccination coverage in India 11,12 ; with only half of the guardians having vaccination cards with them outside India. 13 A few JE cases were reported among adults from the study areas earlier indicating the shift of JE and AES cases from children to adult age groups. 10 Some study groups have also noticed a similar shift from children to adult populations in other areas in India.…”

“…We could verify the vaccination details from the vaccination card provided by parents in most children and additional records maintained by healthcare workers. Studies reported earlier could hardly verify the vaccine doses using the vaccination cards, as they were not available to estimate vaccination coverage in India 11,12 ; with only half of the guardians having vaccination cards with them outside India 13 …”

“…13 The high coverage is achievable with committed ground-level healthcare workers, despite the deficits in knowledge and perception about JE and AES indicating trust in the healthcare system. 13 The program implementation monitoring may consider the coverage surveys.…”

“…28 Our findings are similar to the study in the Yangon Region, Myanmar in 2019 which reported a high level (97.2%) of JE vaccination coverage. 13 The high coverage is achievable with committed ground-level healthcare workers, despite the deficits in knowledge and perception about JE and AES indicating trust in the healthcare system. 13 The program implementation monitoring may consider the coverage surveys.…”

Class Dismissed? Explaining the Absence of Economic Injustice in the NLD’s Governing Agenda

“…(Interview with Trader, 6 May 2016).Socio-moral obligations and economic incentives coalesced, reinforced by a strategic reinterpretation of Buddhist charity by state propaganda and religious figures. Official religious teachings used in trainings by the junta-organised welfare group, Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), connected Buddhist notions of charity (B: dana ) to the “building of an ideal state” (Kyaw Htut, 1994: xi). From the early 1990s, prominent Buddhist monks including Sitagu Sayadaw also engaged in social welfare activities aimed at meeting the dire needs of people during rapid socio-economic change.…”