Peer-reviewed article
Childhood immunization coverage during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Province of Siracusa, Italy
Fabio Massimo Contarino, Erminio DI Pietro, Francesca Bella, Concetta Randazzo, Maria Lia Contrino ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected childhood vaccination rates in Siracusa, Italy by comparing 2019 and 2020 immunization coverage. Vaccination coverage for most mandatory and recommended vaccines declined in 2020, with reductions ranging from 1.4% to 7.8%, while anti-rotavirus vaccination increased slightly. The impact was uneven: older children (over 24 months) experienced larger drops in coverage than younger children, and booster doses were affected more than primary vaccinations. The authors recommend implementing catch-up vaccination programs to reach children who missed immunizations during the pandemic.
Key points
- Vaccination coverage for mandatory and recommended vaccines decreased in 2020 compared to 2019, ranging from -1.4% to -7.8%
- Anti-rotavirus vaccination increased by 4.8% in 2020
- Children aged over 24 months had greater coverage decreases (-5.7%) compared to younger children (-2.2%)
- Booster doses were more affected (-6.4%) than primary vaccinations (-2.6%)
- Reductions for polio (hexavalent) and human papillomavirus vaccination in males were not statistically significant
Limitations
This study describes vaccination coverage changes but does not investigate the specific mechanisms or causes of the decline (e.g., service disruptions, parental hesitancy, reduced access). The analysis is limited to one Italian province and may not generalize to other regions with different pandemic responses or healthcare systems.
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted routine immunization activities and a decline in vaccination coverage has been documented around the world. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination coverage in the Province of Siracusa, Italy. Methods: We compared 2020 and 2019 vaccination coverage by age group and vaccine type. Results were considered statistically significant at a two-tailed p-value ≤ 0.05. Results: Our findings show that vaccination coverage rates for mandatory and recommended vaccinations decreased in 2020 compared with the previous year (range from -1.4% to -7.8%). Anti-rotavirus vaccination increased (+4.8%, as compared to 2019), while the reductions observed for polio vaccination (hexavalent) and human papillomavirus vaccination in males were not statistically significant. The reduction did not hit the population in the same manner, with the greater decreases observed for children aged > 24 months compared to the younger (-5.7% vs -2.2%) and for booster doses compared to the primary vaccinations (-6.4% vs -2.6%). Conclusions: This study found that vaccination coverage of routine childhood immunisations was negatively affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Province of Siracusa. It is of huge importance to put in place some catch-up programs to ensure vaccinations at the earliest of individuals who missed immunization during the pandemic.