Enhancing Booster Dose of DPT Vaccine Coverage With Parental Education

Immunization is one of the most cost-effective strategies for preventing infectious diseases and reducing infant and child mortality. Despite significant progress in vaccine coverage, India is witnessing a worrisome resurgence in certain vaccine-preventable diseases. The burden of diphtheria, for instance, has surged from 2,365 cases in 2015 to 9,622 cases in 2019, with the majority of cases occurring in adolescents. Similarly, pertussis had 37,274 reported cases in 2016, while tetanus cases increased from 2,268 in 2015 to 7,071 in 2019.

This rise in cases can mainly be attributed to children who are either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated. While immunization coverage for the first three doses of the DPT vaccine (administered at 6, 10, and 14 weeks) is relatively high at around 90%, the coverage for the second booster dose, which is crucial for maintained immunity, remains significantly lower.

A study conducted on 384 children found that only 60.68% had received the second booster dose of the DPT vaccine. Notably, vaccine coverage varied significantly between children from tribal-dominant and non-tribal-dominant districts. However, with the introduction of educational interventions, vaccination rates increased.

These findings highlight the potential of parental education to significantly improve immunization coverage. By engaging and educating parents, we can gain target immunization rates and reduce the incidence of childhood morbidity caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. 

Neeli RA, Satapathy AK, Singh AK, et al. Enhancing Coverage of Second Booster Dose of DPT Vaccine Coverage With Parental Education: A Cluster Randomized Approach. Indian Pediatrics. 2024 [E-PUB AHEAD OF PRINT]