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ABS_ID071An assessment of Routine vaccination coverage of polio among children in Johnsonville, Montserrado County, Liberia, January-December 2016Josephus Kilikpo1, Himiede Wede Wilson2, Fulton Q. Shannon2, Dikena G. Jackson11Ministry of Health, Congo Town, Monrovia Liberia2Liberia Field Epidemiology Training Program (AFENET) ABSTRACTIntroduction:Immunization is estimated to avert between 2 and 3 million deaths each year. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)’s primary goal is to reduce mortality and morbidity attributable to vaccine preventable diseases in children less than five (5) years of age. The Government of Liberia has put routine immunization high on its agenda and is committed to reducing the burden of diseases and deaths caused by vaccine- preventable diseases. This study, aimed to assess polio routine immunization coverage of children (4-11months) in the Township of Lower Johnsonville, Montserrado County.Method:A cross sectional survey was conducted in the Township of Lower Johnsonville a rural setting in Montserrado County. We conducted interviews with parents of children, checked the completeness and correctness of vaccination schedules using the Road to Health Card (RHC). The child's vaccination dates, number of doses were also extracted from the child's Road-to-Health Card (RHC). The interviews also included questions that probed for views and knowledge about polio immunization, experience of local service provision and reasons for completion/non-completion of routine polio vaccination programs for children ages (4 – 11 months).Result:A total of 209 parents and caretakers with children between the ages 4-11 months fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the study. Meanwhile, of all the children who had ever received polio vaccination were 41 persons which accounted for 19.6% were partially immunized, meaning they had received <3 doses of the OPV as of their dates of birth and the time of this study. The results also showed that mothers of partially immunized children were not willing to walk long distances were 9 persons which accounted for 21% due to fear of lack of vaccination in facility on the day of appointment were 10 persons which accounted for 25%. In this research, 41 persons which accounted for 19.6% of the children ages (4 – 11 months) in this study had not completed their polio vaccination schedules because of missed opportunities. Conclusion This study identified the proportion of children that are partially and fully immunized against polio, and the reasons for partial immunization against polio and factors that contributed to an assessment of the routine immunization coverage of polio of children (4-11months) was carried out in the Township of Lower Johnsonville, a rural setting in Montserrado County. Parents of fully immunized children understand the benefits of routine immunization against polio and the consequences of their children not being fully immunized. ................
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