Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on routine immunisation in Karachi, Pakistan

Chandir, Subhash; Siddiqi, Danya Arif; Setayesh, Hamidreza; Khan, Aamir

doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30290-4

Cited by 150 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Alternative vaccination delivery mechanisms such as utilising pharmacies may also need to be considered [55]. More innovative examples include the development of drive-by or mobile clinics [56]; reassigning existing locations to facilitate vaccine delivery e.g., maternal antenatal clinics moved to the local football stadium, as described by one respondent, thereby overcoming issues with overcrowding and enabling social distancing; and a trial of "trace and immunise" systems (particularly using a digital interface) [39].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The repeat WHO survey conducted in June 2020 found that immunization programme disruption remained an issue for the majority of respondents [13]. Similarly, in recent correspondence from Pakistan, one of the only published reports providing this level of detailed data in a LMIC, the average number of daily immunization visits (accounting for all antigens) are reported to have decreased by more than half during the lockdown compared with baseline, with the steepest decline at the start of the pandemic in Pakistan in April 2020 [39]. There is also growing evidence from England, Scotland and the United States that the COVID-19 pandemic response has caused vaccination rates to decline even within HICs [40][41][42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Impact of COVID-19 on Immunization Services for Maternal and Infant Vaccines: Results of a Survey Conducted by Imprint—The Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network

2020

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The COVID-19 pandemic response has caused disruption to healthcare services globally, including to routine immunizations. To understand immunization service interruptions specifically for maternal, neonatal and infant vaccines, we captured the local experiences of members of the Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network (IMPRINT) by conducting an online survey over 2-weeks in April 2020. IMPRINT is a global network of clinicians and scientists working in maternal and neonatal vaccinology. The survey included discrete questions to quantify the extent of disruption as well as free-text options to explore the reasons behind reported disruptions. Of the 48 responses received, the majority (75%) were from low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Of all respondents, 50% or more reported issues with vaccine delivery within their country. Thematic analysis identified three key themes behind immunization disruption: “access” issues, e.g., logistical barriers, “provider” issues, e.g., staff shortages and user “concern” about attending immunization appointments due to COVID-19 fear. Access and provider issues were more commonly reported by LMIC respondents. Overall, respondents reported uncertainty among parents and healthcare providers regarding routine immunization. We conclude that further quantification of routine vaccination disruption is needed, alongside health service prioritization, logistical support and targeted communication strategies to reinforce routine immunizations during the COVID-19 response.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Impact of COVID-19 on Immunization Services for Maternal and Infant Vaccines: Results of a Survey Conducted by Imprint—The Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network

2020

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“…On comparing the data of child polio immunization before lockdown (September 23, 2019-March 22, 2020) with the first 6 weeks of lockdown (March 23-May 9, 2020), it was noticed that the mean number of daily immunization visits decreased by 52.8% (from 5,184 to 2,450 visits) and only 92,492 children were immunized as compared with 608,832 children in the same period before lockdown. 10 The polio immunization campaign in Pakistan is encountering numerous challenges resulting from inadequate health facilities, administrative and organizational deficiencies, and significant gaps in coverage due to refusals, inaccessibility of subjects, insecurity, and conflict.…”

Section: Challenges At Handmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polio Amidst COVID-19 in Pakistan: What are the Efforts Being Made and Challenges at Hand?

Ahmad

Babar

Ahmadi

et al. 2021

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Poliomyelitis, a crippling viral disease, has been affecting many children in Pakistan despite the numerous efforts that have been taken to curb its spread. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted mass polio vaccination campaigns globally, including Pakistan, resulting in a resurgence of new cases. Pakistan managed to flatten the COVID-19 curve from July to October that made three immunization drives possible, but the COVID-19 cases are on the rise again which can again complicate the polio situation in the country if left unmonitored. The efforts of Pakistan have been effective with no significant rise in polio cases in 2020 as compared with 2019. We discuss the numerous challenges faced by the polio eradication program in Pakistan. To help eliminate polio, Pakistan needs to enhance its efforts in the struggle against polio with the same zeal and stringency used to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in these challenging times.

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“…This impact could also be explained by the fact that the message about staying at home initially overwhelmed the message that the vaccination programme should continue to function as usual and also led to disruptions at the vaccination units. The disruption of immunization services could trigger secondary outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and also exacerbate the longstanding inequality in immunization coverage, especially in urban areas [10].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID19 on routine immunization: A cross-sectional study in Senegal

Sow¹,

Gueye²,

Boiro³

et al. 2020

J Pediatr Clin Immunol

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The COVID 19 pandemic has prompted the world to implement drastic prevention methods based on limiting population movements that have an impact on public health policies such as vaccination. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of these prevention measures on routine vaccination in hospitals since the advent of the pandemic in Senegal. Methodology: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out in August 2020 in the vaccination unit of the Abass NDAO hospital centre. We compared data from the vaccination unit during the period from March to August of the last three years (2018, 2019 and 2020). The parameter studied was the number of vaccine doses administered for the different periods according to the expanded programme of immunization. Results: For the vaccines administered in the sixth week in April, the number of doses was 36 in 2018, 29 in 2019 and 15 in 2020, i.e. a 50% drop compared to March. In July the number of doses administered was 40 in 2018, 35 in 2019 and 15 in 2020, a reduction of 42% compared to 2019. Conclusion: Measures to fight this pandemic should not make us forget routine vaccination, especially in our resource-constrained countries. It is essential to continue vaccination for children and to identify children who have missed vaccine doses for catch-up. Keywords: COVID19, Vaccination, Impact, Children, Senegal

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Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on routine immunisation in Karachi, Pakistan

Cited by 150 publications

References 4 publications

Impact of COVID-19 on Immunization Services for Maternal and Infant Vaccines: Results of a Survey Conducted by Imprint—The Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network

Impact of COVID-19 on Immunization Services for Maternal and Infant Vaccines: Results of a Survey Conducted by Imprint—The Immunising Pregnant Women and Infants Network

Polio Amidst COVID-19 in Pakistan: What are the Efforts Being Made and Challenges at Hand?

Impact of COVID19 on routine immunization: A cross-sectional study in Senegal

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