Missed Opportunities for Vaccination in the Dominican Republic: Results of an Operational Investigation

Abstract

<i>Background</i>. Despite the success of the Dominican Republic's National Immunization Program, homogenous vaccine coverage has not been achieved. In October 2012, the country implemented a study on missed opportunities for vaccination (MOVs) in children aged <5 years. <i>Methods</i>. A cross-sectional study of 102 healthcare facilities was implemented in 30 high-risk municipalities. Overall, 1500 parents and guardians of children aged <5 years were interviewed. A MOV is defined as when a person who is eligible for vaccination and with no contraindications visits a health facility and does not receive a required vaccine. We evaluated the causes of MOVs and identified risk factors associated with MOVs in the Dominican Republic. <i>Results</i>. Of the 514 children with available and reliable vaccination histories, 293 (57.0%) were undervaccinated after contact with a health provider. Undervaccinated children had 836 opportunities to receive a needed vaccine. Of these, 358 (42.8%) qualified as MOVs, with at least one MOV observed in 225 children (43.7%). Factors associated with MOVs included urban geographic area (OR = 1.80; <i>p</i> = 0.02), age 1-4 years (OR = 3.63; <i>p</i> ≤ 0.0001), and the purpose of the health visit being a sick visit (OR = 1.65; <i>p</i> = 0.02). <i>Conclusions</i>. MOVs were associated primarily with health workers failing to request and review patients' immunization cards.