Immunization Coverage among Children Aged Between 12-23 Months in West Pokot County, Kenya
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Date
2022
Authors
Kirongo, David Kihara
Mwanzo, Isaac
Gitonga, Eliphas
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stratford
Abstract
Vaccination has been shown to be one of the most cost-effective health interventions
worldwide. Despite the efforts made towards global immunization coverage, the number of
unvaccinated and under-vaccinated infants is still high. The situation is no different in Kenya.
Basic vaccination coverage reduced from 77% in 2008 to 70% in 2017. National basic
vaccination coverage of 70% is significantly lower than the global target of 90% by the year
2020. There are gaping regional differences in immunization coverage. The lowest national
immunization coverage is documented at 31% in West Pokot County. This study sought to
identify the determinants of vaccination coverage among children between 12-23 months of
age in West Pokot County. The study used a community-based cross-sectional design where
mothers/guardians of children between 12-23 months old were randomly sampled. The
objectives of the study were to estimate the immunization coverage, investigate factors
influencing immunization coverage and determine the influence of health service utilization on
immunization coverage. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine the influence
of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The findings showed that, majority
(62.4%) of the mothers/guardians had partially immunized their children, followed by those
who had fully immunized their children (36.6%) and lastly 1.1% had not immunized their
children. Age of the mother/guardian is significantly associated with immunization coverage
(OR = 1.128, p =0.000<0.05). This suggests that the older the mother/guardian, the higher the
chances of the child being fully immunized. The distance to nearest health facility was found
to have no significant relationship with immunization coverage (p>0.05). Respondents who
paid for the services were more likely to have their children fully immunized than those who
did not pay for the services (OR = 3.546, p =0.019<0.05). It was also observed that Paternal
occupation influences coverage OR = 2.006, P =0.035<0.05), visiting the health facility in last
year also influenced immunization (OR = 3.147, P =0.01<0.05). The study concluded that the
immunization coverage among children between 12-23 months in West Pokot County is below
the set target. It is therefore recommended that the county government should intensify
vaccination campaigns and develop policies aimed at economically empowering the residents
of West Pokot County
Description
Article
Keywords
Immunization coverage, children aged between 12-23 months, West Pokot County
Citation
Kirongo D., K., Mwanzo I. & Gitonga E. (2022). Immunization Coverage among Children Aged Between 12-23 Months in West Pokot County, Kenya. Journal of Medicine, Nursing & Public Health, 5(4), 22 – 38. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t6047