Assessment of Incomplete Vaccination and Associated Risk Factors among Children Under one Year at Guder Hospital, West Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Immunization is one of the most successful public health initiatives. Each year, vaccination averts an estimated 2-3 million deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and measles. In 2011, nearly 22.4 million children failed to receive at least 3 doses of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) vaccine, leaving large numbers of children susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases and death. EPI cluster survey conducted in Ethiopia on 2012 revealed; only 50% of children less than 2 years of age fully complete their vaccination.Objective: To assess incomplete vaccination and associated risk factors among children aged less than twelve months at Guder Hospital.Methodology: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at Guder Hospital from January – May 2017. A total of 248 caregivers who have children of aged less than 12 months were included in this study. Modified 2005 WHO EPI cluster sampling method was implemented. Well structured pretested questionnaire was used. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20 for Windows. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was done to test the association between independent and dependent variables using binary logistic regression model. Result: From total of 248 children aged between 9-12months were 27.5% among them 14.7% didn’t complete their vaccination according to schedule for routine immunization. DPT-HepB-Hib1- DPT-HepB­Hib3 dropout was 15%. More than half of respondents (58.9%) knew that the vaccination program should be finished at the age of nine months. This study revealed that children were less likely to incomplete vaccination if their primary caregivers knew the benefit of vaccinating child. Mothers ANC follow up and institutional deliveries during their last child were significantly associated with vaccination incompletion.Conclusion: There was low Vaccination coverage among children aged less than 12 months at Guder Hospital compared to national and global target. Caregiver’s educational level, knowledge on benefit of vaccinating child and age to complete immunization, ANC follow up and institutional delivery were significantly associated with incomplete vaccination on this study. Guder Hospital and health office should work on it to increase community awareness through intensive public health education activities with regards to the benefits and needs of complete the entire schedule of vaccination. Keywords: vaccine, incomplete, Guder Hospital and Ethiopi