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. 2021 Mar;42(1):53-70.
doi: 10.1057/s41271-020-00255-w. Epub 2021 Jan 4.

Timeliness of childhood vaccinations in the Philippines

Peter Francis Raguindin  1   2 , Merrylle Morales-Dizon  3 , Josephine Aldaba  3 , Lailani P Mangulabnan  4 , Renelyn P Reyes  5 , Nyambat Batmunkh  6 , Maria Joyce Ducusin  7 , Anna Lena Lopez  3
Affiliations

Timeliness of childhood vaccinations in the Philippines

Peter Francis Raguindin et al. J Public Health Policy. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Timeliness of vaccinations is rarely part of monitoring in a routine immunization program. We reviewed infant immunization and conducted caregiver interviews in three regions in the Philippines from January to October 2016. We randomly selected thirty public health centers, one for each region. We defined timeliness of the receipt of antigen as within 4 weeks after the recommended age at vaccination. We assessed a total of 986 infants for timeliness of vaccination. The median age of receipt of vaccine was at 2.7 weeks (BCG), 10.1 weeks (Penta 1), and 21.7 weeks (Penta 3) compared to the recommended 0, 6, and 14 weeks of age, respectively. We found timely receipt only in 74.4% for BCG, 70.3% for Penta 1, and 39.1% for Penta 3 recipients. Thus, alongside declining immunization coverage, the infants in the Philippines had substantial delays in vaccine receipt.

Keywords: Immunization; Immunization program; Immunization schedule; Philippines; Routine immunization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location of the three study sites (Region 3 Central Luzon, Region 6 Western Visayas, and Region 10 Northern Mindanao)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cumulative proportions of infants receiving vaccines by age in weeks. Data grouped as cumulative proportion by a BCG, Hepatitis B, Penta 1, and Penta 3, b BCG, Hepatitis B, PCV13 1, and PCV13 3, and c BCG, Hepatitis B, OPV 1, and IPV. Gray vertical line and boxed infant age (weeks) correspond to the recommended age of vaccine receipt. Gray area corresponds to the timely receipt as defined in this study (+ 4 weeks from recommended age). BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; HepB, Hepatitis B vaccine; IPV, inactivated poliovirus vaccine; OPV, oral poliovirus vaccine; PCV13, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13-valent); Penta, Pentavalent vaccine
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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