Peer-reviewed article
Closing immunization gap: Complete basic childhood vaccination and associated factors among children aged 12-23 months in Tanzania; a multilevel analysis of the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey.
Erick Donard Oguma, Elihuruma Eliufoo Stephano, Sanun Ally Kessy, Jovin R Tibenderana, Victoria Godfrey Majengo et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study analyzed vaccination coverage among Tanzanian children aged 12-23 months using 2022 national survey data. Overall, only 52.5% of children completed their basic childhood vaccinations, though individual vaccine coverage varied widely. The research identified that maternal education, wealth, antenatal care visits, number of young children in the household, and geographic location were associated with vaccination completion. Western and central zones plus Zanzibar had higher vaccination rates than other regions.
Key points
- Complete basic childhood vaccination coverage was 52.5% among children aged 12-23 months in Tanzania
- Individual vaccine coverage ranged from 58.9% (polio full dose) to 91.0% (BCG)
- Mothers with primary or secondary/higher education and middle wealth had lower odds of completing vaccinations for their children
- Mothers with more than four antenatal care visits and 1-2 under-five children had higher odds of vaccination completion
- Geographic disparities existed, with western and central zones and Zanzibar showing higher vaccination coverage
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional analysis, so it describes associations rather than causal relationships. The study cannot explain why certain factors are associated with vaccination status or determine the mechanism behind regional differences.
Abstract
Vaccination prevents an estimated 4-5 million deaths globally each year, including many among children under five. However, complete childhood vaccination coverage remains low in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania. This study examined complete basic vaccination coverage and associated factors among Tanzanian children aged 12-23 months. Analytical cross-sectional study of the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey data was conducted. The sampling frame was stratified by geographic region and urban/rural areas, using a two-stage sampling method that selected primary sampling units based on census enumeration areas, followed by household selection using probability systematic sampling. Multilevel logistic regression, accounting for the complex survey design, was used to identify individual and community-level factors associated with complete childhood vaccination. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the strength of association. The prevalence of complete basic childhood vaccination was 52.5% (95%CI: 49.6 -55.3). Among these children, coverage for individual vaccines was high, with 86.5% receiving the first dose of measles and 91.0% receiving (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) BCG. However, the percentage receiving the full dose was lower for polio (58.9%) and 90.0% for Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DPT). Mothers with primary, secondary/higher education, in middle wealth quintile, had more than four antenatal care (ANC) visits, had 1-2 under-five children had lower odds to completely vaccinate their children. At the community level, mothers in western, central zones and Zanzibar had higher odds to vaccinate their children. Complete basic childhood vaccination coverage in Tanzania was suboptimal and associated with various factors including maternal education, middle wealth, more ANC visits, and fewer young children exhibited higher odds of vaccination. Western, central zones, and Zanzibar showed higher coverage. Targeted interventions addressing education, wealth, ANC, family size, and regional disparities would be crucial to improve vaccination rates in Tanzania.