Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development

Vaccination is a proven tool in preventing and eradication of communicable diseases. Due to various reasons children fail to complete the full course of immunization. Factors influencing the low vaccination coverage have been poorly understood at the national and regional levels thus for this a study has been designed.

To identify the factors associated with incomplete vaccination/un-vaccination in children less than five years of age.

This was a cross sectional study carried from November 2016 to January 2017 in immunization clinic of Urban Health Training Center, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Amritsar. In this study, 994 children aged 0–5 years were listed. The study involved interviewing the mothers/caregivers having children in the age group of 0–5 years., Statistical analysis was done and valid conclusions were drawn.

Three main factors influencing the vaccination of children were: Lack of information (71.66%) and motivation (10%) of the mothers; and side effects of vaccination (fever, pain etc.) in children. 95.77% mothers were literate and 86.32% had received Antenatal/Postnatal care. Sex of children was not a significant factor influencing immunization.

Present study showed that most of the children (93.96%) were completely Immunized. The study showed a direct positive correlation of the higher socio-economic, literacy status of mothers/caregivers, and place of delivery with immunization coverage of the children. Immunization coverage was higher in children of mothers delivered in Health institutions and who had antenatal/post-natal checkups than in children of mothers delivered in homes; and without ANC/PNC check-ups.