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Ishoso DK, Mafuta E, Danovaro-Holliday MC, Ngandu C, Menning L, Cikomola AMW, Lungayo CL, Mukendi JC, Mwamba D, Mboussou FF, Manirakiza D, Yapi MD, Ngabo GF, Riziki RB, Aluma ADL, Tsobeng BN, Mwanga C, Otomba J, Lulebo A, Lusamba P, Nimpa MM. Reasons for Being "Zero-Dose and Under-Vaccinated" among Children Aged 12-23 Months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1370. [PMID: 37631938 PMCID: PMC10459103 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11081370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Introduction: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has one of the largest cohorts of un- and under-vaccinated children worldwide. This study aimed to identify and compare the main reasons for there being zero-dose (ZD) or under-vaccinated children in the DRC. (2) Methods: This is a secondary analysis derived from a province-level vaccination coverage survey conducted between November 2021 and February 2022; this survey included questions about the reasons for not receiving one or more vaccines. A zero-dose child (ZD) was a person aged 12-23 months not having received any pentavalent vaccine (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)-Hepatitis B) as per card or caregiver recall and an under-vaccinated child was one who had not received the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine. The proportions of the reasons for non-vaccination were first presented using the WHO-endorsed behavioral and social drivers for vaccination (BeSD) conceptual framework and then compared across the groups of ZD and under-vaccinated children using the Rao-Scott chi-square test; analyses were conducted at province and national level, and accounting for the sample approach. (3) Results: Of the 51,054 children aged 12-23 m in the survey sample, 19,676 ZD and under-vaccinated children were included in the study. For the ZD children, reasons related to people's thinking and feelings were cited as 64.03% and those related to social reasons as 31.13%; both proportions were higher than for under-vaccinated children (44.7% and 26.2%, respectively, p < 0.001). Regarding intentions to vaccinate their children, 82.15% of the parents/guardians of the ZD children said they wanted their children to receive "none" of the recommended vaccines, which was significantly higher than for the under-vaccinated children. In contrast, "practical issues" were cited for 35.60% of the ZD children, compared to 55.60% for the under-vaccinated children (p < 0.001). The distribution of reasons varied between provinces, e.g., 12 of the 26 provinces had a proportion of reasons for the ZD children relating to practical issues that was higher than the national level. (4) Conclusions: reasons provided for non-vaccination among the ZD children in the DRC were largely related to lack of parental/guardian motivation to have their children vaccinated, while reasons among under-vaccinated children were mostly related to practical issues. These results can help inform decision-makers to direct vaccination interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Katuashi Ishoso
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
- Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa 01302, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (E.M.); (A.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Eric Mafuta
- Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa 01302, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (E.M.); (A.L.); (P.L.)
| | - M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday
- Immunization, Analytics and Insights (IAI), Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB), World Health Organization (WHO), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.C.D.-H.); (L.M.)
| | - Christian Ngandu
- National Institute of Public Health, Kinshasa 01209, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (C.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Lisa Menning
- Immunization, Analytics and Insights (IAI), Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals (IVB), World Health Organization (WHO), 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.C.D.-H.); (L.M.)
| | - Aimé Mwana-Wabene Cikomola
- Expanded Program of Immunization, Kinshasa 01208, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.M.-W.C.); (C.L.L.); (J.-C.M.)
| | - Christophe Luhata Lungayo
- Expanded Program of Immunization, Kinshasa 01208, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.M.-W.C.); (C.L.L.); (J.-C.M.)
| | - Jean-Crispin Mukendi
- Expanded Program of Immunization, Kinshasa 01208, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (A.M.-W.C.); (C.L.L.); (J.-C.M.)
| | - Dieudonné Mwamba
- National Institute of Public Health, Kinshasa 01209, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (C.N.); (D.M.)
| | - Franck-Fortune Mboussou
- Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Inter-Country Support Teams Central Africa, Libreville BP 820, Gabon;
| | - Deo Manirakiza
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Office, Kinshasa 01204, Democratic Republic of the Congo;
| | - Moise Désiré Yapi
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
| | - Gaga Fidele Ngabo
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
| | - Richard Bahizire Riziki
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
- Public Health Section, Higher Institute of Medical Techniques of Nyangezi, Sud-Kivu 11213, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Bienvenu Nguejio Tsobeng
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
| | - Cedric Mwanga
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
| | - John Otomba
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
| | - Aimée Lulebo
- Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa 01302, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (E.M.); (A.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Paul Lusamba
- Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa 01302, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (E.M.); (A.L.); (P.L.)
| | - Marcellin Mengouo Nimpa
- Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Program, World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office, Kinshasa 01205, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (M.D.Y.); (G.F.N.); (R.B.R.); (B.N.T.); (C.M.); (J.O.); (M.M.N.)
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