title: Uptake of pneumococcal vaccines in the Nordic region of Nunavik, province of Quebec, Canada.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pneumococcal infections constitute an important public health problem in Nordic regions of Canada. Nordic populations are not included in national and provincial immunization surveys and there is no centralized immunization registry in these regions. The objective of this study was to estimate pneumococcal vaccination coverage and delays in immunization of children in Nunavik, Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunization records of children born in 1994-2005 were collected in all villages. Children were classified into three groups: born in the period January 1, 1994 to April 30, 1997 and targeted by the 2002 mass campaign with the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23); born in the period May 1, 1997 to March 31, 2002 and targeted by the 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7) catch-up campaign; born in the period April 1, 2002 to December 31, 2005 and targeted by the PCV7 routine infant program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first group (n=896), 86.8% (95% CI: 84.4%-89.0%) were vaccinated with PPSV23. In the second group (n=1,252), 84.3% (95% CI: 82.1%-86.2%) received ≥1 PCV7 dose. In the third group, 90.4% (95% CI: 88.5%-92.1%) received 4 PCV7 doses. Delays >4 weeks in vaccine administration were observed for 26.3% of doses. There were substantial variations between villages for all indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the challenging setting of a Nordic and remote region, uptake rates of pneumococcal vaccines in Nunavik were found to be similar to those measured in population surveys in Quebec.
authors.forename: Jude-Emmanuel
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cléophat
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Le Meur
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Proulx
authors.affiliation: Université Laval. philippe.dewals@criucpq.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Wals
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011792:Quebec; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
keywords: Aboriginal health; Streptococcus pneumoniae; immunization; infectious diseases; pneumococcal vaccines