TITLE:
Factors Contributing to the Acceptability of Second Dose of Measles Vaccine among Children in Livingstone District, Zambia
AUTHORS:
Mirriam Nchimunya, Dorothy Chanda, Emmanuel Musenge
KEYWORDS:
Measles, Second Dose, Acceptability, Caretakers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.13 No.2,
March
20,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Measles is a viral disease that is a major public health problem in both
developed and developing countries. It is a contagious disease resulting from infection
with the measles virus and is still responsible for more than 100,000 deaths per
year. Although vaccination is one of the most successful and cost-effective public
health interventions to reduce mortality and morbidity, approximately 1.4 million
children worldwide die from vaccine-preventable diseases each year. In Zambia, MCV2
was 66% below WHO recommended target of 95%. This study therefore assessed the acceptability of second dose measles vaccination services among caretakers/mothers with children less than two years of age in Livingstone, Zambia. Methods: The study used analytical cross-sectional study design. A logistic regression analysis
was performed to identify factors associated with acceptability of the second dose
of measles vaccine. A semi structured questionnaire was administered to collect
data on socio demographic characteristics and factors related to acceptability of
the second dose of measles vaccine. SPSS version 26.0 was used for descriptive and
inferential analysis at 5% level of significance. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in acceptability
of the second dose of measles vaccine by gender, marital status, type of employment,
income level, socio-cultural and traditional beliefs, and education level. However,
there was a statistically significant difference in acceptability of the second
dose of measles vaccine by knowledge level of second dose of measles vaccine. A Chi square test result indicated that second
dose acceptability was higher with less children
than that of respondents with many children (χ2(5) = 15.3, p and knowledge levels (χ2(2) = 14.8, p Changes in knowledge level
from medium to high reduced the odds of second dose measles vaccine acceptability.
Furthermore, this study showed that acceptance of the second measles vaccination
increased from mothers/caretakers with low knowledge (3.6%) to medium knowledge
(13.3%) and finally high knowledge (83.1%). Conclusion: Tailored messaging
to increase knowledge among mothers and caregivers on the importance of the second
dose of measles vaccine is critical in improving acceptability. Therefore, the researchers
recommend that the health providers should continue to raise awareness associated
with the low acceptability of the second dose of measles vaccine and improve on
child preventable diseases such as measles.