Reports from Department of Health Sciences Advance Knowledge in COVID-19 (Childhood Vaccination Coverage and Regional Differences In Swiss Birth Cohorts 2012-2021: Are We On Track?): Coronavirus – COVID-19

2024 JAN 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Vaccine Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Coronavirus - COVID-19. According to news reporting from Zurich, Switzerland, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Many western countries are challenged by delayed and insufficient vaccination coverage rates in children, and thus missing WHO coverage targets. This study aimed to estimate vaccination coverage and timeliness in Swiss children over a decade.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the Department of Health Sciences, “Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19, regional variations, and the adherence to the amended vaccination schedule in 2019. Retrospective observational study with Swiss health insurance claims data including birth cohorts 2012-2021 of children continuously observed until ages 13, 25, and 48 months respectively. We used population-weighted proportions and time-to-event analyses to describe coverage and timeliness of diphtheria/ tetanus/pertussis/poliomyelitis/haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), hepatitis B (HBV), pneumococcal (PCV), and meningococcal (MCV) vaccinations according to the national schedule. The potential impact of COVID-19 and vaccination schedule adherence were evaluated descriptively. Logistic regression was used to investigate regional factors potentially associated with non vaccination. 120,073 children, representing between 12 and 17 % of all Swiss children born in corresponding years, were included. Coverage remained stable or improved over the years. The 2019 amendment of the national immunization schedule was associated with an increase of similar to 10 % points in full coverage in Swiss children for DTaP-IPV-Hib, MMR and HBV despite the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, full vaccination coverage remained below 90 % with many vaccination series being delayed or not completed. The comparison across the different vaccines revealed large differences in coverage. Moreover, we observed large regional differences in non-vaccination with children living in rural and German-speaking areas more likely to be entirely unvaccinated. Full vaccination coverage in Swiss children is still below 90 % with many vaccinations administered delayed.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Given regional differences, missed or delayed booster vaccinations, and differences in vaccine-specific acceptability, more effort may be needed to achieve national vaccination targets.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Childhood Vaccination Coverage and Regional Differences In Swiss Birth Cohorts 2012-2021: Are We On Track? Vaccine, 2023;41(48):7226-7233. Vaccine can be contacted at: Elsevier Sci Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, Oxon, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Vaccine - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/vaccine/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Simeon J. Zurcher, Helsana Grp, Dept. of Health Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland. Additional authors for this research include Andri Signorell, Carola A. Huber, Anja Lechot-Huser and Christoph Aebi.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.10.043. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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