Determinants of Low Measles Immunization

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Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination is an open-access journal that publishes & accepts all types of articles that comes under the scope of the journal. JVV published an article on the measles titled A Review of Determinants of Low Measles Immunization and Feasible Interventions to Increase Uptake among Children Aged 9-59 months.

Vaccine-preventable diseases contribute to about 20% of all under-five deaths globally. Annually, about 10% of un-immunized children die of measles globally. Developing countries continue to experience frequent Measles outbreaks despite numerous preventive measures. Measles is one of the vaccine-preventable diseases targeted by the World Health Organization for elimination by 2020. Measles remains the top killer among children in SubSaharan Africa despite global progress to eliminate the disease through vaccination. Even though there is a vaccine against this disease, most countries still report low measles immunization coverages. The main aim of this review is to analyze the determinants of low measles uptake in Lawra district and recommend appropriate measures to solve this problem. An in-depth review was conducted using literature, both peer-reviewed and grey literature from 2000. The literature was retrieved from databases (PubMed, Global health, Popline) and also through the google scholar search engine. A conceptual framework was adapted to guide the analysis of the factors affecting measles immunization coverage in Lawra district. Inadequate data from the district for comparison was a major limitation and thus further research is recommended. Out of the ninety five studies (95) that met the inclusion criteria, 85 (89%) were peer reviewed. The main factors influencing low measles immunization coverage in Lawra include the quality of immunization services, attitude of health workers, inaccessibility to services and the social class of the caregivers. Feasible intervention strategies recommended include mass media, home visits, effective supervision and partnership between the health system and the communities.

Despite all the efforts to eliminate measles globally through improved immunization coverage, low measles immunization coverage remains a problem in Lawra district. This is due to inadequate access to immunization services, health beliefs and low awareness of the benefits of childhood immunization. From the discussions, effective supervision, home visits and social mobilization are crucial in complimenting already existing strategies to increase the coverage. Engaging the communities and stakeholders in the district strengthens multi-sectoral collaboration and partnership which is vital in addressing health services delivery related challenges. Inadequate data however from the district and Ghana on the topic made the researcher to rely on some grey literature in the country, other vaccination programs and articles from developing countries since they have similar characteristics.

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Thanks & Regards,
John Kimberly
Editorial Manager
Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination
Email: jvv@scholarlypub.com