[The coverage of vaccines systematically administered and of a vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b prior to its inclusion in the vaccinal calendar in the Valencian Community].
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to estimate the vaccine coverage among children two years of age in the Community of Valencia, Spain, in 1997.


METHODS
Cluster sampling was used to assess vaccine coverage. Clusters were villages randomized according to their population < 5 years of age. At least 7 children of each of the 30 selected clusters were randomly selected from the database of newborn metabolic screening. Parents were contacted and vaccine registration cards requested by mail.


RESULTS
Four hundred forty subjects were selected. Eight percent of the families had moved and were not contacted. Sixty-nine percent participated in the study. Coverage for three doses of DTP was 97.8% and 87.6% for four doses. MMR vaccine coverage was 96.6% and three doses of hepatitis B had been given in 95.1%. H. influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine coverage was 57%. In 70% of the studied cases of non-participants, vaccine coverage was known through vaccination centers and was very similar to that of the participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Vaccine coverage in the Community of Valencia is high for the scheduled vaccines. Although Hib is not a scheduled vaccination, its coverage was 57%.
Díez Domingo
J
J
Centro de Salud de Nazaret, Unidad de Investigación Trinitat, Valencia.
Pereiro Berenguer
I
I
Ferrer Salvà
A
A
Fullana Montoro
A
A
Momparler Carrasco
P
P
Ballester Sanz
A
A
Morant Gimeno
A
A
Saurí Martí
V
V
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011897:Random Allocation; D013030:Spain; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*