Peer-reviewed article
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Child Basic Immunisation Coverage in Tanzania: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis
Steven Mwaseba, Emmanuel Mwang’onda, Winnie Donald ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected routine childhood immunisation coverage in Tanzania. It uses an interrupted time series analysis, treating 2020, 2021 and 2022 in turn as the point of interruption. Coverage fell only slightly in 2020, and the change was not statistically significant. A sharp and significant drop followed in 2021, when COVID-19 vaccination campaigns began, and coverage showed signs of recovery by 2022. The authors recommend better allocation of health resources during crises, stronger public health messaging and wider community outreach.
Key points
- Immunisation coverage declined slightly in 2020, with no significant impact when 2020 was used as the intervention point.
- A sharp decline in 2021 pointed to a more substantial disruption of immunisation services, coinciding with the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
- With 2021 as the intervention year, the study found significant immediate and prolonged impacts.
- Coverage showed signs of recovery by 2022.
- The authors suggest that pandemic fatigue, reallocation of health resources and public fear may have contributed to the decline.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so there are no figures, data sources or details of the model. The explanations for the 2021 decline are suggested possibilities ('may have'), not tested causes. The abstract gives no information on differences between regions or population groups.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to healthcare systems globally, including Tanzania, disrupting essential health services, including child basic immunisation programmes. Using an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis, we analysed how the pandemic influenced child fundamental immunisation trends across three key tears: 2020 (partial lockdown), 2021 (introduction of COVID-19 vaccination programmes), and 2022 (post-pandemic recovery phase). The results reveal a slight decline in immunisation coverage in 2020, with no significant impacts when this year is used as an intervention point. However, a sharp decline in 2021 indicates a more substantial disruption in immunisation services, coinciding with the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. When 2021 is considered the intervention year, the study finds significant immediate and prolonged impacts, suggesting that the combination of pandemic fatigue, the reallocation of health resources, and public fear may have exacerbated the decline in immunisation rates. By 2022, immunisation coverage showed signs of recovery. These findings highlight the complex and evolving nature of the pandemic’s impact on child immunisation services. This study highlights the need for targeted interventions to restore and maintain essential health services, particularly in global health emergencies. Recommendations include improving healthcare resource allocation during crises, strengthening public health messaging, and expanding community outreach to mitigate long-term service disruptions.