AN INVESTIGATION ON EFFECTIVENESS OF ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION AMONG CHILDREN FROM 0-5 YEARS

1.1 Introduction

Routine immunizations are nationally scheduled regular administrations of vaccine dosages to infants at specified ages and require parents/caregivers taking the children to the health facility to receive age-appropriate doses of the antigens. This is done on specific days of the week to reduce vaccine wastage since most of the vaccines are supplied in multi-dose vials (Zangeneh et al., 2011). The immunization of a new born child is a very important way of preventing illness considering the way common diseases that claimed the life of children. Routine immunization coverage among children in developing countries is below the WHO and UNICEF target of 80% which leads to many children suffering from infectious parasitic and immunizable diseases which are by far the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the developing countries according to Utibeabasi (2018).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Childhood immunization is the initiation of immunity through application of vaccine. it is considered important for improving child survival. This is because more than 10 million children in developing countries die every year because they do not access effective interventions such as immunization that could fight common and preventable childhood illnesses (WHO, 2014).

Immunization is the active which involves administering agents which stimulates the receivers’ own immunological mechanism who responds by producing reactions in his resistance to infect by the organisms from which the antigen was derived or obtained. This takes several weeks to produce effective protection hence; it has a prophylactic value but last forever. On the other hand, immunization is said to be passive by the giving of already made anti-bodies formed by another lost in response to natural injection. This has immediate protective and therapeutic value but last for a short period. The induction of immunity by applying vaccine in children is among the most cost-effective health interventions and awareness creation programs to reduce child mortality, morbidity, and disability in the world (WHO/AFRO, 2009-2012). This is achieved through a routine vaccination schedule for children in Nigeria which are given starting from birth, and are being completed before one year of life by all children as it obtained elsewhere (WHO, 2012). Nigerian government introduced pentavalent vaccine into her immunization schedule recently (2012).

Nigeria like many countries in Africa is making efforts to strengthen its health system especially immunization so as to reduce disease burden from vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). Such efforts include creating awareness of the importance of health education, provision of the vaccines and personnel through the NPHCDA, private or NGO providers’, community based participation and the media.

Supporting this view, Ogbuibe (2005) pointed out that the entry point to be fill introduction of all elements of primary health care system, immunization against diseases in one of the fairly they elements of the child’s survival and development. The national programme of immunization was for certain target groups of the population mainly children within the large group of 0-2 years and pregnant mothers or women. It is target against the six deadly and childhood diseases. These diseases are tuberculosis, measles, poliomyelitis, tetanus, chicken pox and whooping cough. The high rate of mortality from disease preventable by immunization underscores the need for immunization was the most effective programme to reduce these diseases for which satisfactory immunization procedures have been established.

Although, about three quarters of the world’s child population is reached with the required vaccines, only half of the children in Sub-Saharan Africa get access to basic immunization. Further, in poorer remote areas of developing countries, only one in twenty children have access to vaccination (UNICEF, 2013). Immunization against Vaccination Preventable Disease (VPDs) through the expanded programme of immunization (EPI) is one of the most economical public health interventions available (UNICEF 2012) that contributes extensively to achieving the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the mortality rate of children under five by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015 (UNICEF 2012, World Bank, 2013).

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to investigate the effectiveness of routine immunization among children from 0-5 years.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the decision to carry out the study was due to the barriers associated with immunization of children among the illiterate mothers in Nigeria. In the past, many children died before the age of 5 or before the school age due to communicable diseases e.g. tuberculosis, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, whooping cough, measles, tetanus etc. they did not know that these disease could be prevented. These communicable disease were discovered by scientific researcher, clinics are established where the disease can be prevented by treatment.

Many people are not still making use of the clinic and health center, perhaps due to ignorance, inability of mothers to get the facilities or non availability of vaccine or lack of understanding. Therefore this study is carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of routine immunization among children from 0-5 years.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of routine immunization among children from 0-5 years. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To assess immunization coverage and factors affecting childhood routine immunization coverage in primary health facilities in the area under study;
2. To determine the perception of parents acceptability on immunization in the area under study;
3. To identify the strategies meant to solve the problems of immunization in the area under study; and
4. To assess the knowledge and practice of childhood routine immunization among mothers attending Primary Health Care Centers in the area under study.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are there immunization coverage and factors affecting childhood routine immunization coverage in primary health facilities in the area under study?
• What is the perception of parent’s acceptability on immunization in the area under study?
• What are the strategies meant to solve the problems of immunization in the area under study?
• What is the knowledge and practice of childhood routine immunization among mothers attending Primary Health Care Centers in the area under study?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no immunization coverage and factors affecting childhood routine immunization coverage in primary health facilities in the area under study
• H1: There is immunization coverage and factors affecting childhood routine immunization coverage in primary health facilities in the area under study

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1.7 Significance of Study

This research is expected to be of great importance to parents and the general public in Nigeria who will appreciate the implication of the problem of immunization and know the best way to handle them. The study conducted was done to aid the following group of people.

The Mothers: The mother will be advice properly on what they should do. The information gathered will be of great importance which may change mother’s attitudes towards immunization programme.

The Health Center: The suggestion made will be used as a source of correction measure to health persons on one way or the other may have contributed to the lukewarm attitude of mothers when they bring their children for immunization through health education and lack of follow up visit to trace defaulters.

Ministry of Health:

The findings may serve as a clue for the Ministry of health to make better plan by making of health to make better plan by making adequate provision of vaccine and training more people into the health sector to promote child immunization in Nigeria.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the investigation on effectiveness of routine immunization among children from 0-5 years using Chanchangi Ward Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

The following terms were used in the course of this study:

Immunization: Is the process by which an individual’s immune system is stimulated through exposure to an immunogenic agent known as vaccine (a substance that stimulates the immune system is said to be immunogenic)

Implementation: Is a specified set of activities designed to put a plan or strategy into practice. In this study, it refers to the set of activities put together in the immunization program to ensure that children are vaccinated and thereby increase immunization coverage.