EP063 - MONITORING ROUTINE CHILDHOOD VACCINATION COVERAGE DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC (ID 1801)
Abstract
Backgrounds:
Childhood vaccinations prevent morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases and provide a cost-effective intervention to improve health equity. While the national vaccination coverage in Israel is adequate, gaps between population groups exist. We evaluated vaccination coverage in Jerusalem, a district with recurrent vaccine-preventable diseases’ outbreaks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Routine childhood vaccinations are included in the National Health Insurance Law. Community-based clinics provide free vaccination to all children regardless of civil status. Vaccination Coverage (VC) was appraised based on the National Immunization Registry data among children (born 01/01/2018–30/06/2020, Jerusalem district). The vaccines included: Diphtheria, Tetanus, acellular Pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae b (DTaP-IPV-Hib4: dose 4); pneumococcal conjugate (PCV3: dose 3) and Measles-Mumps-Rubella/Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella (MMR /MMRV1), all scheduled at 12 months. Allocation into Jerusalem's main population groups (Arab, Jewish Ultra-Orthodox and Jewish traditional-secular) was based on neighborhood of residence.
Results:
The study group included 71,495 children in the Jerusalem district: 28,722 were born in 2018, 28,894 in 2019 and 13,879 in the first half of 2020. The overall VC was 93.6% for MMR/MMRV, 83.2% for DTaPIPV-Hib4 and 86.7% for PCV3. The VC was higher in the 2018 cohort than in the 2019 cohort with decline among children born in 2020. The VC disparities between the cohorts were significant. Comparing VC between population groups revealed significantly lower rates among children residing in Jewish Ultra-Orthodox communities.
Conclusions/Learning Points:
Childhood vaccination coverage rates and timeliness among children in Jerusalem district were suboptimal. The lowest VC rates were found in children born in the first half of 2020 in Jewish Ultra-Orthodox communities. Community-based health education campaigns to advance awareness about and trust in childhood vaccines and sustainable public health programs are essential.
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