Determinants of vaccination coverage during Covid-19 pandemic among children aged 12-23 months in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Tigist Enyew Gedamu^1*Anmut Asseme Tsega²Leyla Temam Aleye³Meskerem Teketel Woldemariam⁴Tsegaye Gebre Argago⁵Alula Seyum Buda¹

• ¹Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, Wachemo University, Hosaena, Ethiopia
• ²Department of Biology, Wachemo University, Hosaena, Ethiopia
• ³Department of Biomedical Science, Hawassa University, Awasa, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia
• ⁴Department of Nursing, Wachemo University, Hosaena, Ethiopia
• ⁵2Department of Surgical Nursing, Wachemo University, Hosaena, Ethiopia

Background: Millions of children particularly within low and middle-income countries are deprived of comprehensive vaccination series. The advent of Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue that significantly disrupting vaccination schedules and other critical health initiatives. In light of these challenges, our study sought to evaluate vaccination coverage and identify its determinants among children aged 12-23 months in southern Ethiopia during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a community based cross sectional study. Three study kebeles were selected purposively to select incorporate 415 households with 12-23 months old baby from each kebele through a systematic sampling technique. . Data were collected using adapted Ethiopian 2019 Mini Demographic Health Survey immunization coverage tool. Data were entered, cleaned and checked using Epi Data version 3.1 and analyzed with SPSS version 24. A bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. Variables with p-value of<0.05 considered as significant determinants of full vaccination coverage.Results: Our study found that Full vaccination coverage among children in the study area was 44.5% with 95% of confidence interval (39.8 – 49.4). Having Households twowith two children were nearly fully vaccinated by twofold (P= 0.047, (AOR= 1.99, 95% (CI=1.01-3.95, P value= 0.047)), traveling households traveling to short distance the nearest immunization site were more likely fully vaccinated by nearly threefold (P= 0.004, AOR= 2.78 95%(CI=1.38-5.57, P value= 0.004,)), taking four and more immunizations children attempting several immunization schedules were less likely fully vaccinated (P=0.000, AOR=0.068, 95% (CI=0.035-0.134, P value=0.000) and households receiving information from television were twice as likely to be fully vaccinated (AOR=2.02, 95% CI: 1.05–3.89)obtaining information about vaccine side effect from television (P=0.035, AOR=2.022, (CI=1.05-3.89) were factors predicting vaccination coverage. Conclusions: Our In summary, our findings indicate a pressing need to address the identified determinants to improve vaccination coverage which is currently below the World Health Organization’s recommended levels. Therefore, targeted efforts must be made to enhance awareness and accessibility particularly focusing on family size, logistical barriers, receiving four or more immunizations several immunization schedules and effective communication through various media channels. Meeting the recommended vaccination rate will require coordinated actions among healthcare providers, policymakers and communities at large.