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Review
. 2022 Feb 18;5(2):e00516.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.516. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine vaccination coverage of children and adolescents: A systematic review

SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi  1 , Amirali Karimi  2 , Hengameh Mojdeganlou  3 , Sanam Alilou  2 , Seyed Peyman Mirghaderi  2 , Tayebeh Noori  4 , Ahmadreza Shamsabadi  5 , Omid Dadras  6 , Farzin Vahedi  2 , Parsa Mohammadi  2 , Alireza Shojaei  1 , Sara Mahdiabadi  2 , Nazanin Janfaza  7 , Abolfath Keshavarzpoor Lonbar  8 , Esmaeil Mehraeen  8 , Jean-Marc Sabatier  9
Affiliations
Review

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on routine vaccination coverage of children and adolescents: A systematic review

SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Retraction in

Abstract

Background and aims: Scientists and healthcare workers have expressed their concerns on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in children and adolescents. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the studies addressing this issue worldwide.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of relevant studies using the keywords on databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane on May 22, 2021. The identified records were imported into EndNote software and underwent a two-phase screening process consisting of title/abstract and full-text screenings against inclusion criteria. The data of the included studies were summarized into a table and the findings were analyzed in a systematic approach.

Results: From 26 eligible studies, 21 studies demonstrated decreased vaccination rates in the children during the COVID-19 pandemic, while three studies found increased or no significant changes only in influenza vaccination. The two remaining studies from Brazil and Sweden also showed no significant changes in vaccination rates in the children during the pandemic.

Conclusion: Most of the reports worldwide reported a decline or delay in vaccination at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sustained catch-up program seems to be necessary, especially in low-income countries, to avoid any vaccine dose missing. Facilitating the vaccination process is recommended, such as decreasing the waiting time for vaccination at the health center, addressing the fear and concerns related to COVID infection for parents, and enhancing vaccine availability, and promoting access in remote areas. Countries should ensure proper vaccination to prevent future pandemics related to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Keywords: COVID‐19; SARS‐CoV‐2; children; pediatrics; vaccination coverage; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the study's selection process. PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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