Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Vaccination Uptake in Lahore, Pakistan - A Cross-Sectional Study: COVID-19 Pandemic on the EPI Vaccination Uptake

Ali Gohar; Hamza Hafeez Farooqi; Humza Tariq; Asad Ullah Khan; Abdul Rehman Shahid Khan; Syed Saqlain Haider Shah; Usama Afzal

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v8i6.1261

Authors

Ali Gohar Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Hamza Hafeez Farooqi Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Humza Tariq Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Asad Ullah Khan Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Abdul Rehman Shahid Khan Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Syed Saqlain Haider Shah Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
Usama Afzal Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v8i6.1261

Keywords:

COVID-19, Expanded Program of Immunization, Pandemic, Vaccination

Abstract

The 2019 (COVID-19) Coronavirus pandemic has presented a variety of challenges which have not only affected the society's health but also the economies, the sociocultural trends and political situations. Routine health-related programs have been harmed. Objectives: To provide an insight into the prevalence of delay of Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) and its causative factors during the pandemic in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: After approval from the Ethical Review Board, this prospective, cross-sectional study was carried out at Ameer ud Din Medical College (AMC) from July 1, 2023, to September 1, 2023. An interview-based survey was conducted across the suburbs of college. Results: About 66% participants were female parents, out of which 51.3% indicated that their children's vaccinations had been delayed for more than a week. Participants who had delayed their children's vaccination visits owing to a fear that the children would not be able to follow the proper precautions for protection against COVID-19 were 10%, while 16% of respondents stated that the fear of COVID-19 exposure while traveling to and from the health facility was the reason for the delay in vaccination. Fear of COVID-19 exposure at the health facility caused 33% of cases to delay the vaccination uptake. Conclusions: It was concluded that COVID-19 harmed EPI-associated vaccination uptake. Solutions to the reasons for delay were ignored by the involved parents and healthcare setups.

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