Utilization Of Immunization Services Among Children Aged Under Five In Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Abstract

Immunization is a key approach that can be successfully employed to reduce deaths

and illnesses among children. Immunization presently averts an estimated 3 million

deaths annually for children aged under five. Kenya Expanded Program on

immunization has a stipulated immunization schedule guideline that should be

adhered to for effective utilization of immunization services for improved health

outcome. The study was prompted by the alarming statistics on morbidities related

to vaccine preventable diseases in a County where there has been a lot of

intervention on immunization services. The main objective of the study was to

investigate utilization of immunization services among children aged under five in

Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to assess the level of

utilization of immunization services, establish the social-demographic factors

associated with immunization services, determine health service factors influencing

immunizing services and assess family factors associated with utilization of

immunization services. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the

community among 388 participants in the five sub-counties of Kirinyaga County.

This was done through systematic random sampling of every 9th household. The

respondents were interviewed through structured questionnaires. Children

immunization record card was assessed for data entry. Data was analyzed by Social

Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Descriptive findings were presented

in tables and bar graphs while inferential statistics used chi-square test to measure

association between independent and dependent variables. P- Values equal to or less

than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The results showed that

utilization of immunization services was not in compliance with the National Child

Immunization Schedule that ensures maximum protection from vaccine preventable

diseases. Measles 2 vaccine the last antigen in the schedule administered at 18

months had 58%. A confidence interval of 95% was adopted thus setting significant

thresholds at 0.05 implying any threshold less than 0.05 was significant in affecting

utilization of childhood immunization. The results indicated that socio- demographic

factors such as age, gender, educational level, income levels had p values(p0.005) The health service factors such as waiting time, stock out of vaccine,

rescheduling of vaccine and return dates had p values (p0.05) The study established

that family factors had a strong statistical significant relation with utilization of

immunization services such as myths and misconception, side effects, parity, sick

children and lack of information and had p values (p0.005)

was found to have no effect on utilization of immunization services. The Conclusion

was that the levels of performance antigens was below the recommended target by

WHO of 85%. It was recommended that health education program be carried out to

improve utilization of immunization services and door to door campaign to trace and

immunize defaulters.