Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Delayed/Missed Routine Immunization in Children (0-24 Months) in Islamabad, Pakistan

Khan, Sabeen Abid; Imran, Muhammad; Tabassum, Rabia; Maroof, Fatima; Munir, Shahzad; Khan, Ejaz Ahmad; Malik, M.

doi:10.1177/10105395211048617

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…One quarter of studies reported delayed or missed vaccination [24,25,41,46,[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]. Overall delayed vaccination ranged from 6.2% to 34% [62,64].…”

Section: Delayed or Missed Vaccinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood immunisations in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

Dalton,

Sanderson,

Robinson

et al. 2023

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Routine vaccines are critical to child health. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted essential health services, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). We reviewed literature to determine the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery and uptake of routine childhood immunisation in LMICs. We reviewed papers published between March 2020 and June 2022 using a scoping review framework, and assessed each paper across the World Health Organisation health system strengthening framework. Our search identified 3,471 publications; 58 studies were included. One-quarter of studies showed routine childhood immunisation coverage declined (10% to 38%) between 2019 to 2021. Declines in the number of vaccine doses administered (25% to 51%), timeliness (6.2% to 34%), and the availability of fixed and outreach services were also reported. Strategies proposed to improve coverage included catch-up activities, strengthening supply chain and outreach services. Re-focusing efforts on increasing coverage is critical to improve child health and reduce the likelihood of disease outbreaks.

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“…One quarter of studies reported delayed or missed vaccination [24,25,41,46,[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]. Overall delayed vaccination ranged from 6.2% to 34% [62,64].…”

Section: Delayed or Missed Vaccinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One quarter of studies reported delayed or missed vaccination [24,25,41,46,[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]. Overall delayed vaccination ranged from 6.2% to 34% [62,64]. The delay for Hepatitis B ranged from 5% to 6.3% [65,70].…”

Section: Delayed or Missed Vaccinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood immunisations in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

Dalton,

Sanderson,

Robinson

et al. 2023

PLOS Glob Public Health

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“…We also noted a delay in vaccination for those vaccines that are given in the first few days of life, such as BCG, first dose of OPV, first dose of pentavalent vaccine, and rotavirus vaccine. Other studies have reported delays not only in these vaccines but also in most other vaccines during the lockdown period [22][23][24]. In our study, the delay in BCG vaccination within the DL group might be attributed to the increased proportion of non-institutional deliveries and deliveries in private facilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 48%

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Maternal and Infant Healthcare Services in an Urban Resettlement Area of East Delhi

Aggarwal,

Maroof,

Patra

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially disrupted essential maternal and infant healthcare services due to the diversion of resources. The imposition of lockdown was one of the critical strategies to flatten the curve in several countries, including India. This led to restricted access to pregnancy-related care, immunization services, and had an impact on home-based newborn care. We aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on institutional deliveries and child healthcare services in a residential community of East Delhi. Methods: This community-based, comparative study was conducted between January 2021 and August 2022. Seventy-seven families experiencing childbirth during the COVID-19 lockdown period (24 th March 2020 to 30 th November 2020) were compared with an equivalent number of families having childbirth during the corresponding period preceding the lockdown (24 th March 2019 to 30 th November 2019). The study involved face-to-face interviews conducted using a pretested and pre-validated interviewer-administered schedule. Results: We found that non-institutional deliveries were substantially higher in the during-lockdown group (n=11, 14.3%) compared to the before-lockdown group (n=1, 1.3%) (OR=12.67 [1.59, 100.73]). Additionally, a significantly lower proportion of pregnant women received a minimum of four antenatal checkups (OR=8.26 [2.71, 25.23]), as well as iron and calcium supplementation during the lockdown. Reasons for non-institutional deliveries primarily included unavailability and denial of delivery services, as well as the fear of exposure to COVID-19 infection, as highlighted in our study. A significantly lower proportion [OR=6.07 (2.56, 14.42)] of children were found to be immunized-for-age, along with a substantial delay in vaccination among those born during the lockdown period. There was a significant decrease in home visits by community health workers during both the antenatal and postnatal periods amidst the lockdown. Moreover, the proportion of children exclusively breastfed for six months was notably lower [OR=2.32 (1.17, 4.63)], and the age until which exclusive breastfeeding was continued was lower in the during-lockdown group. Regarding healthcare-seeking behavior, services were sought by the families of 95.5% of children who fell sick during the lockdown period. Approximately 45.2% of families procured medicines from private health facilities, while about one-third acquired them from non-registered medical practitioners (NRMPs). Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown significantly affected maternal and child healthcare services, leading to adverse outcomes across various crucial aspects. Institutional deliveries, antenatal care, community health worker visits, child immunization, and healthcare-seeking behavior were all adversely affected. In times of natural disasters like pandemics...

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“…Furthermore, studies from different contexts have highlighted different pathways through which COVID-19 affects routine vaccinations. A study conduct in Pakistan emphasized the effect of lockdown measures on the supply and access to routine immunization services [37]. Furthermore, the lockdown limitation and subsequent preventative strategies have reduced the alternatives for engaging communities, such as outreach, affecting immunization services [38].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of COVID-19 on Routine Childhood Vaccination in Bahir Dar City, Northwestern, Ethiopia

Berhane,

Worku,

Fawzi

2023

Vaccines

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Despite free vaccinations for all children, Ethiopia is one of the ten countries where most children do not receive all of their basic vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted service delivery and utilization worldwide. In this study, we assessed the effect of the pandemic on routine childhood vaccinations in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The data were collected from immunization records, health system monthly reports, and interviews with vaccination professionals. The data were analyzed using interrupted time series and thematic analyses. In 6940 records covering 2018–2022, the number of vaccine doses that were delivered steadily increased except for 2021/22. Vaccine delivery consistently increased prior to the pandemic. Immediately after the first case was reported, there were some disruptions, but they were not statistically significant compared to the pre-pandemic period. In-depth interviews also confirmed this finding, showing early pandemic fear and protective measures had an impact but were not sustained. These results show that COVID-19 has had a transient but non-significant effect on childhood vaccination. Although the interruption was statistically insignificant, it could reverse decades of progress toward safeguarding children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, we must intensify our initiatives to boost childhood vaccination rates and restore pre-pandemic services to regain momentum and avoid future setbacks.

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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Delayed/Missed Routine Immunization in Children (0-24 Months) in Islamabad, Pakistan

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

Impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood immunisations in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

Impact of COVID-19 on routine childhood immunisations in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Maternal and Infant Healthcare Services in an Urban Resettlement Area of East Delhi

Effect of COVID-19 on Routine Childhood Vaccination in Bahir Dar City, Northwestern, Ethiopia

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