Coverage and determination of childhood vaccination under national immunization program in Mumbai slums a cross sectional study

Abstract

newline Background: A large proportion of the world s population lives in slums and India is newlineone of the major contributors to this. Slums are characterized as one of the most newlinevulnerable settings for disease outbreaksdue to factors such as overcrowding, poor newlinehygiene, improper sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and lack of resources. These newlinefactors provide a fertile ground for microbial growth and are home to a wide array of newlineinfectious diseases causing childhood morbidity and mortality. India contributes newlinesignificantly to global childhood mortality of which significant share is from vaccine newlinepreventable diseases. newlineVaccination/immunization is considered as one of the safest, cost-effective, and newlinedriving forces in public health to control avoidable childhood morbidity and mortality. newlineHowever, due to low immunization coverage, Indian populations are at risks of newlinevarious diseases, especially outbreaks of disease like pertussis, hepatitis, diphtheria, newlineetc. Despite various efforts under Government programmes, the increase in inhabitants newlineliving in slums also present challenges for achieving the goal of our national newlineimmunization program. This reflects in many outbreaks of vaccine preventable newlinediseases which are becoming more common with high morbidity or mortality, and newlineincreased vulnerability. The attainment of the national goals of immunization thus newlinerequires specific attention on vaccination in the slum contexts. It may be therefore newlinedesirable to study the vaccination activities in the slums. newlineIX newlineObjective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the coverage, dropouts, quality, and newlinethe determinants of primary childhood vaccinations covered under national newlineimmunization program in slum. It also explored the major barriers, potential newlineopportunities, and key facilitators of childhood vaccination for evidence-based newlinerecommendations