Abstract:
Back ground: Children are defaulting from childhood immunization due to risk factors, low
access to services, inadequate awareness of caregivers, missed opportunities and high dropout
rates were recognized since the early years of EPI efforts. Epidemiological investigations of
recent outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases have indicated that incomplete
immunization was the major reason for the outbreaks. In Ethiopia, full immunization rate
(EDHS, 2011) is low (24.3%) in children age 12-23 months.
Objective: To identify risk factors for defaulting from childhood immunization in Assosa
woreda, Benshangul Gumuz, Western Ethiopia.
Method: unmatched case control study was conducted in eleven selected Kebeles of Assosa
Woreda. Baseline survey was done to identify completed and defaulted children from
childhood immunization, from which 282 children 12-23months of age (94 defaulted and 188
completed) were selected using SRS. Pre-tested structured questionnaire were used for data
collection and analyzed by SPSS version 16. Bivariate and multivariate regressions were used
for analysis.
Result: Baseline survey identified 963 children in 12-23 months, 775(80.5%) and
180(18.7%) of them completed and defaulted from immunization respectively. The BCG:
measles dropout rate of the sample 282 was 19.8%, the dropout rate of Penta-1: Penta-3 (both
defaulted and completed) by card only was 7.8%, dropout rate among the defaulted children
was 77.6%. Mother Postponing of immunization schedule [AOR = 5.61, 95%CI: 2.22,
14.16], no antenatal care visit [AOR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.05, 7.96], time inconvenient [AOR =
2.85, 95% CI: 1.05, 7.70], no provider counseling [AOR = 2.69, 95%CI: 1.21, 5.99], no
knowledge about measles vaccine [AOR = 2.76, 95%CI: 1.18, 6.49], knowledge on schedule
of vaccines [AOR = 0.24, 95%CI: 0.11, 0.56] and negative Perception on satisfaction of
immunization service [AOR = 16.69, 95% CI: 4.06, 68.55] were the important predictors of
defaulting from immunization.
Conclusion and recommendation: It is concluded that postponing of immunization schedule,
no antenatal care visit, time inconvenient, no immunization counseling, no knowledge about
measles vaccine, no knowledge about vaccine schedule & negative Perception on satisfaction
of immunization service were found to be the most important predictors of defaulting from
childhood immunization.Providing adequate IEC on immunization services.
