PIE CHART REPRESENTING AWARENESS OF IMMUNZATION AMONG PEOPLE

PROJECT ON AWARENESS OF EXPANDED PROGRAM FOR IMMUNIZAION 

ABSTRACT

Vaccines — which protect against disease by inducing immunity — are widely and routinely administered around the world based on the common-sense principle that it is better to keep people from falling ill than to treat them once they are ill. All vaccines used for routine immunization are very effective in preventing disease, although no vaccine attains 100% effectiveness. More than one dose of a vaccine is generally given to increase the chance of developing immunity. Vaccines are very safe, and side effects are minor ─ especially when compared to the diseases they are designed to prevent. Serious complications occur rarely.

The aim of the study was to determine the awareness of vaccination among people and vaccination status of infants and pregnant women. A study was conducted randomly in different areas of Lahore. The heads of family were consented for interview through a structured Performa. During our visit in these areas we came across people with different mentalities and lifestyle. The results are collected and shown through pie chart revealing the relative awareness about vaccination among people. The failure in vaccination and reason were also noted. Success of vaccination was 81.60%. Knowledge of preventive health and vaccination among people was at high rate. Results show that percentage of awareness of EPI and vaccination during pregnancy was at low rate. Effective measures are needed to raise the vaccination status up to 100%.

DISCUSSION:

Vaccination status of children was excellent .Parents who believed in vaccination of their children rather have no knowledge of EPI and its vaccination schedule. Only 5 % parents believed that vaccination is not beneficial for health and 6.30% of them have apprehension and fear about vaccination procedures just because of their religious views and improper storage facilities for vaccines. Considering 95% parents results’ it appears that they encouraged EPI in Pakistan however they did not have complete knowledge of EPI program but they think vaccination as “MEDICINE FOR PROPHYLAXIS OF DISEASES FOR THEIR CHILDREN”. They have knowledge of why preventive health is necessary for us.Toxoid coverage is 12.30% because women discouraged vaccination during pregnancy as they have the perception that vaccinations would be harmful during pregnancy; other reasons include vaccination centers at distant places, socioeconomic factors, harm to fetus and lack of education. Success of immunization and Polio eradication rate was 81.60%, 78% respectively, which was quite satisfactory but failure include many reasons including mother being busy, laziness of parents, minor sickness of child, lack of faith in immunization program. Families’ belonging to lower class usually don’t follow such health associated programs. Role of government in vaccination of community was 69%. Reasons behind such failure were short supply of vaccines, improper storage conditions and carelessness of health workers. Other causes include forgetting schedule of EPI and baseless beliefs about it. Hospital nurses, doctors and pharmacists had played an important role in educating people about EPI. They proved to be good counselors for families in EPI programs.

CONCLUSION:    

It is concluded that education plays an important role for increasing success rate of EPI. Socioeconomic status of families is also a major factor in failure of complete immunization in community. Parents should be educated about EPI and EPI schedule. Counseling of parents is also necessary to change their awkward thinking, apprehensions or fear about vaccination. Proper storage facilities should be provided for vaccines. There should be regular visit of EPI team along with POLIO team for the better health of pregnant women, as the tetanus and toxoid coverage is closely associated with child’s vaccination status .Effective measures are needed for EPI success rate to reach up to 100%.