Improving Capture of Vaccine History: Case Study from an Evaluation of 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Introduction in Kenya

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 Jun 1;94(6):1400-2. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0783. Epub 2016 May 2.

Abstract

With the accelerated introduction of new vaccines in low-income settings, understanding immunization program performance is critical. We sought to improve immunization history acquisition from Ministry of Health vaccination cards during a vaccine impact study of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on pneumococcal carriage among young children in Kenya in 2012 and 2013. We captured immunization history in a low proportion of study participants in 2012 using vaccination cards. To overcome this challenge, we implemented a household-based reminder system in 2013 using community health workers (CHWs), and increased the retrieval of vaccine cards from 62% in 2012 to 89% in 2013 (P < 0.001). The home-based reminder system using CHWs is an example of an approach that improved immunization history data quality in a resource-poor setting.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carrier State / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kenya / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Medical Records*
  • Pneumococcal Infections / prevention & control*
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines / immunology*
  • Vaccines, Conjugate / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Conjugate / immunology

Substances

  • 10-valent pneumococcal vaccine
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Conjugate