Local Impairment of routine childhood vaccination during COVID-۱۹ pandemic, a global threat for preventable diseases

Introduction: COVID-۱۹ pandemic has disrupted childhood immunization coverage and increased vaccine misinformation around the world. In this study, we tried to compare on-time vaccination as a healthcare index among under-five children before and after the pandemic in the Southeast Iran, neighbor with two polio endemic countries.Material and Method: This is a cross-sectional study that was performed during two sections of time; ۶ months before and ۶ months after the COVID-۱۹ pandemic. Study population was all under-five children who were living in Zahedan (rural and urban areas). Sampling was done by the census. We calculated the percentage of on-time vaccination and not vaccinated (including delayed or not vaccinated) according to the type of vaccine and place of residence. Descriptive statistic and the Chi-square test were used for data analysis.Results: Totally ۷۵۸۶۳ children were studied. Our finding showed significant impairment in under-five of age vaccination especially at birth time in both urban and rural populations. The most delayed vaccination was related to the pentavalent, trivalent, and oral polio vaccines. Another considerable result is lower on-time vaccination in rural populations in comparison with urban populations both before and after the pandemic.Conclusion: Missing out on life-saving vaccines makes children at risk of devastating and entirely preventable diseases like polio. Disruption of Polio vaccination could be a global threat especially in critical areas such as south east Iran that is neighbor with polio endemic countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan).

Keywords:

COVID-۱۹ , Childhood , Vaccination