Assessment of Responsibilities of Parents and Healthcare Workers in Routine Immunisation Practices: A Communitybased Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Every year, nearly two million children die before their 5th birthday, with 21.5% of all under five deaths attributed to vaccine-preventable diseases. Approximately 50% of undervaccinated children come from three countries, including India. In India, the Universal Immunisation Program (UIP) has played a crucial role in eliminating polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus. Both parents and healthcare providers play vital roles in children’s immunisation, with healthcare providers raising awareness about the importance of immunisation and parents understanding its significance. Aim: To estimate and assess the responsibilities of parents and healthcare providers in routine immunisation practices. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Community Medicine, Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Shimoga, Karnataka, India among 153 parents or guardians of children aged six months to five years in urban and rural areas of Shimoga district. A questionnaire designed for the study was used, and a pilot study was conducted to test its effectiveness. The study duration was three months, from July 2022 to September 2022. Sociodemographic details and information on child immunisation were collected. Data were described in terms of frequencies and percentages. The association between knowledge of immunisation and the parents’ residence was tested using the Chi-square test, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: Out of 153 children, 46 (31%) were aged between 1 to 2 years. Among the study participants (N=153), 104 (68%) correctly recalled the last vaccine administered to their child, but 117 (76.5%) were unaware of the specific disease it protected against. Additionally, 69 (45.1%) participants were not aware of the four key messages related to immunisation. However, the majority of participants (152, 99.3%) expressed willingness to receive other vaccines. There was a significant (p=0.007) difference in knowledge regarding the retention period of a Mother Child Protection card (MCP) for 16 years between rural and urban areas. Conclusion: The responsibilities of parents and healthcare workers were found to be unsatisfactory. Parents mainly relied on Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for keeping track of immunisation dates, while healthcare workers failed to communicate all four key messages effectively.