Immunization coverage in young children: a study nested into a health and demographic surveillance system in Burkina Faso.
BACKGROUND
Reliable estimates of immunization coverage are the basis for rational policy making, program implementation and evaluation. Vaccination coverage is usually measured using administrative data or surveys, both having a number of methodological problems.


METHODS
We estimated vaccination coverage using a data set of 11 906 children aged <5 years from an existing Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in north-western Burkina Faso. Data were collected from September 2008 to December 2009.


RESULTS
Vaccination coverage based on information from existing vaccination cards ranged from 80% (measles) to 94% (OPV1). When taking into consideration all information available (including BCG scars in children with and without vaccination card), full coverage in children aged 12-23 months was around 75%, with a significantly higher coverage in rural compared with urban areas. There were no differences in vaccination coverage between boys and girls.


CONCLUSIONS
The study supports other studies that found vaccination coverage improvement in Burkina Faso recently. In addition, our study found slightly better vaccination coverage in rural compared with urban areas, which needs further consideration.
Institute of Public Health, Medical School, Ruprecht-Karls-University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. ouedraogo@uni-heidelberg.de
Nobila
N
Ouédraogo
Moubassira
M
Kagoné
Ali
A
Sié
Heiko
H
Becher
Olaf
O
Müller
D002050:Burkina Faso; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Burkina Faso; West Africa; children under five; health and demographic surveillance system; immunization coverage