Coverage and predictors of routine immunization among 12-23 months old children in disaster affected communities in Pakistan

Objectives: We aimed this study to determine the relationship of various factors related to poor immunization in children in an earthquake affected community. Methods: We conducted this cross sectional study during 2007-2008 in Muzaffarabad district of Pakistani side of Kashmir. We selected 43 villages as clusters and in the second, 860 children between 12-24 months were selected from households through systematic sampling. Mothers of the eligible children were interviewed with a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was run to measure association of various factors with appropriate immunization status of the children. Results: We found that 74% of children had completed their required doses of routine immunization. There were greater odds of a child being unvaccinated if the family lived at a distance that was to be covered in more than 10 minutes by any transport (OR 1.12, 1.08-1.17), mother of the child was not educated (OR 2.4, 1.3-4.4), child belonged to a low Socioeconomic status (SES) (OR 3.5, 2.1-6.3), family had any challenge or situation that where they could not take the child to a health facility for vaccination (OR 2.3, 1.4-3.7) and for a female child that belonged to minority ethnic group (OR 1.7, 1.0-2.5). Conclusion: Improvement in access of communities, especially of minority and poor in disaster stricken, to immunization services and female education and awareness about the need for immunization in children could play a role in improving immunization coverage in such settings.