CHANGES IN COVERAGE OF PNEUMOCOCCAL PREVENTION ACTIVITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Relevance The World Health Organization estimates that in 2020, around 13.5 million children around the world did not receive routine immunizations, as expected, due to a shift in focus to fight a deadly pandemic. Aim Determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the routine immunization of children using the example of vaccination against pneumococcal infection. Materials and methods of research The ongoing retrospective study in the city polyclinic No. 3 of the city of Almaty of the Republic of Kazakhstan covered the period from 2019 to 2021. Statistical analysis was performed to determine significance (p < 0.05) using Z-score. Results Annual coverage of the first vaccination in children aged 2 months in 2019 was 98%, and in 2020 it decreased to 86.1% (Z = 4.112431; P = 0.000039). In 2021, the indicator increased again, and reached the level of 96.8%. For the second dose of pneumococcal vaccine, coverage decreased from 98% (2019) to 80% (2020) (Z = 5.056653; P = 0.000001). In the next 2021, coverage was 96.7%. The null hypothesis is also rejected for the third dose of pneumococcal vaccine in children aged 12-15 months. If in 2019 the implementation of the annual plan was 98.5%, then in 2020 it decreased significantly, and showed only 85.4% (Z = 5.562573; P = 0.000001). Coverage recovery was successful in 2021, meeting the target by 96.6%. According to the data, coverage was lowest in 2020 and also for the second dose of pneumococcal vaccine. Conclusions The current study demonstrates the decline in vaccination coverage among Kazakh children during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

• routine immunization
• COVID-19
• national immunization schedule
• Kazakhstan
• pneumococcal vaccine
• children