Biography
Biography: Khin Nyo Thein
Abstract
Introduction: Immunization is one of the most effective public health interventions and it reduces morbidity and mortality from vaccines preventable diseases. Aim: To determine the proportion and to identify the causes for missed opportunities for immunization at Magway Teaching Hospitals, Myanmar Methodology: The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted from January to December 2014 at Magway Teaching Hospitals. Mothers were interviewed using a standardized interview questionnaire. It involved reviews of immunization cards plus parental recall for those who had the missed opportunities for immunization. Result: A total of 522 children were included in the study and proportion of missed opportunity for immunization in the study was (65.5%). Missed opportunity for immunization was more common for measles 1 (43.7%), measles 2 (39.7%) and DPT 3 (19.1%). Common causes for missed opportunities for immunization were “missed because parents and children were away during immunization session†(18.6%), “parents had no time for their children immunization†(17.1%) and, false contraindications such as parents did not brought their children to vaccination session because of fever of their children and the health staffs in vaccination session did not give immunization because of minor illness of the children. In this study, one third of the caretakers did not have formal education and two third of the caretakers had only basic education level. Conclusion and recommendation: The proportion of missed opportunities for immunization can be reduced by strengthening of immunization services and increase caretakers’ health awareness on the importance of immunization.