[Factors related to failure to complete immunization of children aged 10-23 months in Ndoulo (Senegal)].
BACKGROUND
Avoidable diseases cause more than two million deaths worldwide every year. In sub-Saharan Africa, only half of all children receive their complete vaccine series. In Senegal, an expanded program of immunization began as a pilot program in 1979 and was generalised in 1985. Nonetheless poor population adherence to child immunization makes it difficult to meet its annual target of 80% per vaccine. This study sought to explore the factors related to failure to complete routine immunization in Ndoulo, in the health district of Diourbel.


METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical survey was conducted from 16-25 April 2005 among mothers of 562 children aged 10 to 23 months in Ndoulo.


RESULTS
Among children who started their vaccine series (with BCG vaccine against tuberculosis), 68.0% received the measles vaccine (the last of the series), 67.1% completed the vaccine series (receiving all required vaccines) but only 19.4% were correctly vaccinated according to the program's vaccination schedule, with the correct number of boosters at the appropriate time. Non-compliance with the immunization schedule was related to parents' lack of time (40.3%), forgetting to return (33.2%), losing the immunization card (10.3%), travels (7.7%), and lack of money (1.1%). Completely vaccinated children were more likely to be male, to have their immunization card available, to have parents aware of the vaccines' side effects and the immunization schedule, and to have their immunization paid for by their father.


CONCLUSIONS
In Ndoulo, health district of Diourbel, adequate immunization coverage is very low because of the high rate of abandonment and poor compliance with vaccination schedules. The predominant factors, especially related to the populations, are negligence.


CONCLUSIONS
Actions such as increasing parental awareness, promoting child sponsorship systems, and requiring immunization records for school enrollment, are needed to address these factors, to improve immunization coverage in Diourbel.
Ndiaye
Ndèye Magatte
NM
District sanitaire de Diourbel 93, rue Bassirou Mbacké Quartier Escale Commune de Diourbel Sénégal, Service de médecine préventive et de santé publique, Université Cheikh-Anta-Diop, Dakar Fann, Sénégal. ndeymagatte@hotmail.com
Ndiaye
Papa
P
Diédhiou
Abdoulaye
A
Guèye
Abdou Salam
AS
Tal-Dia
Anta
A
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D012675:Senegal