Vaccination coverage and timeliness among children aged 12-23 months in Kongwa District, Dodoma, Tanzania
Anna J. Mbenah, Edward A. Magwe
Abstract
Children's vaccinations play a significant role in public health efforts, particularly in reducing morbidity and mortality rates among children worldwide. However, challenges such as the accessibility of healthcare facilities, misinformation, and perceptions continue to affect the achievement of immunization goals in Tanzania and other developing countries. Based on the need to protect the community from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination, this study aimed to assess vaccination coverage and timeliness among children aged 12-23 months who attended postnatal immunization clinics in the Kongwa district located in the Dodoma region, Tanzania. A quantitative cross-sectional study was employed, involving 200 children who visited vaccination clinics along with their caregivers. Data were obtained through a questionnaire prepared and vaccination cards. This current study revealed that 96.0% were fully vaccinated, with 4.0% partially vaccinated, while no children were found to be totally unvaccinated. Timeliness varied across vaccines assed vaccines: 75.0% of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccinated on time, four doses of Oral Polio Vaccine ranged from 74.0-87.0% of on time vaccination. Three doses of the Pentavalent Vaccine and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine had on-time vaccination rates ranging from 79.5% to 86.0%. Two doses of the Rotavirus Vaccine reached on-time rates of 84.5% to 86.0%. 60.5% of people received the Measles and Rubella vaccine, with 35.5% experiencing delays and 4.0% remaining unvaccinated. This study revealed that, despite the national efforts to improve vaccination rates for children, issues such as delays and incomplete immunizations persist. Strategies like community engagement, continuous training for healthcare professionals, and improving healthcare accessibility in remote areas should be reinforced to improve vaccination uptake in Tanzania.
Keywords
References
- Bianco A, Mascaro V, Zucco R, Pavia M. Parent perspectives on childhood vaccination: How to deal with vaccine hesitancy and refusal? Vaccine. 2019; 37(7): 984-990. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.12.062
- Uddin MM, Rahman MM, Rafi IK, Khandaker MS. Health problems in Bangladesh: A struggle for equitable and accessible healthcare. Mediterranean Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences. 2025; 1(1): 1-7. doi: 10.5281/ zenodo.15606021
- Sheriff DS. Perspective on health care in India and Libya: a short commentary. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2023; 3(2): 1-3. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7864128
- Ndaki P, Kinyonga M, Mwita S. Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards child immunization among mothers attending Magu District Hospital, Mwanza. The East African Health Research Journal. 2024; 8(1): 80. doi: 10.24248/eahrj.v8i1.752
- World Health Organization. WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change: the transformation needed to improve lives and wellbeing sustainably through healthy environments. World Health Organization; 2020.
- Taeb ST, Alamory MM, Alamamy ZM, Nafae SSH. Assessing the readiness of community pharmacists in Libya for vaccine administration: Barriers and opportunities. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2025; 5(1): 65-74. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.14695845
- Alouzi NA, Hashad NS, Yamane MA. Drug utilization pattern in the NICU: A World Health Organization-Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification-based cross-sectional study. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2025; 5(3): 75-82. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.16970145
- Chard AN, Gacic-Dobo M, Diallo MS, Sodha SV, Wallace AS. Routine Vaccination Coverage - Worldwide, 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2020; 69(45): 1706-1710. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6945a7
- World Health Organization. Quality immunization services: a planning guide. World Health Organization; 2022.
- Paul SK. Assessment of knowledge and attitude of adverse drug reactions among healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2025; 5(2): 70-78. doi: 10.5281/ zenodo.15275065
- Kempe A, Saville AW, Albertin C, Helmkamp L, Zhou X, Vangela S, et al. Centralized reminder/recall to increase influenza vaccination rates: a two-state pragmatic randomized trial. Academic Pediatrics. 2020; 20(3): 374-383. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2019.10.015
- Piot P, Larson HJ, O’Brien KL, N’kengasong J, Ng E, Sow S, Kampmann B. Immunization: Vital progress, unfinished agenda. Nature. 2019; 575(7781): 119-129. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1656-7
- Okesanya OJ, Olatunji G, Olaleke NO, Mercy MO, Ilesanmi AO, Kayode HH, et al. Advancing immunization in Africa: overcoming challenges to achieve the 2030 global immunization targets. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics. 2024: 83-91. doi: 10.2147/AHMT.S494099
- Binyaruka P, Borghi J. Validity of parental recalls to estimate vaccination coverage: Evidence from Tanzania. BMC Health Services Research. 2018; 18(1): 440. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3270-z
- Vasudevan L, Baumgartner JN, Moses S, Ngadaya E, Mfinanga SG, Ostermann J. Parental concerns and uptake of childhood vaccines in rural Tanzania–a mixed methods study. BMC Public Health. 2020; 20(1): 1573. doi: 10.1186/ s12889-020-09598-1
- Wawa AI. The challenges of promoting and adopting biogas technology as alternative energy source in semi-arid areas of Tanzania: The case of Kongwa and Bahi districts of Dodoma region (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania). 2012.
- Muluye M, Oljira L, Eyeberu A, Getachew T, Debella A, Deressa A, et al. Partial vaccination and associated factors among children aged 12-23 months in eastern Ethiopia. BMC Pediatrics. 2022; 22(1): 268. doi: 10.1186/s12887-022-03320-3
- Magwe EA, Varisanga MD, Ng’weshemi SK. Healthcare workers’ perceptions of COVID-19 in four regions of Tanzania: A quantitative cross-sectional survey in healthcare facilities. The Nigerian Health Journal. 2023; 23(2): 666-677. doi: 10.60787/tnhj.v23i2.666
- Adedokun KA, Adekola SA, Tajudeen A, Bello-Ibiyemi AA, Babandina MM, Magwe EA, et al. Rising global threat of human metapneumovirus (hMPV in 2024/2025): pathogenesis, immune dynamics, vulnerabilities in immunocompromised individuals, and lessons from past pandemics. Journal of Rare Diseases. 2025; 4(1): 16. doi: 10.1007/s44162-025-00079-w
- Yelverton V, Hair NL, Ghosh SH, Mfinanga SG, Ngadaya E, Baumgartner JN, et al. Beyond coverage: Rural-urban disparities in the timeliness of childhood vaccinations in Tanzania. Vaccine. 2022; 40(37): 5483-5493. doi: 10.1016/ j.vaccine.2022.07.020
- Sangeda RZ, James D, Mariki H, Mbwambo ME, Mwenesi ME, Nyaki H, et al. Childhood vaccination trends during 2019 to 2022 in Tanzania and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. 2024; 20(1): 2356342. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2356342
- Alzawam MS, Hasan FO. Factors associated with the inflammatory immune response induced by COVID-19 vaccines among adults. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2023; 3(1): 12-18. doi. 10.5281/zenodo.7771333
- Magwe E, Varisanga MD, Ng’weshemi SK. Healthcare facilities’ level of preparedness response on COVID-19 preventive measures in selected regions of Tanzania: A perspective of healthcare workers. Microbes and Infectious Diseases. 2023; 4(2): 343-356. doi: 10.21608/MID.2023.193210.1466
- Magwe EA. Economic Challenges in Tanzanian Healthcare Facilities and Their Impact on PPE Availability During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A qualitative analysis. Zagazig University Medical Journal. 2025; 31(1): 427-434. doi. 10.21608/zumj.2024.333780.3677
- Enyew EB, Tareke AA. Vaccination status and factors associated among children age 12-23 months in Ethiopia, based on 2016 EDHS: Logit based multinomial logistic regression analysis. PLoS One. 2022; 17(2): e0264004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264004
- Akanpaabadai EA, Adiak AA, Nukpezah RN, Adokiya MN, Adjei SE, Boah M. Population-based cross-sectional study of factors influencing full vaccination status of children aged 12-23 months in a rural district of the Upper East Region, Ghana. BMC Pediatrics. 2024; 24(1): 168. doi: 10.1186/s12887-024-04662-w
- Noh JW, Kim YM, Akram N, Yoo KB, Cheon J, Lee LJ, et al. Determinants of timeliness in early childhood vaccination among mothers with vaccination cards in Sindh province, Pakistan: a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. BMJ Open. 2019; 9(9): e028922. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-028922
Submitted date:
08/15/2025
Reviewed date:
09/18/2025
Accepted date:
09/29/2025
Publication date:
09/28/2025