[Access to unfunded vaccination and associated socioeconomic factors in a cohort of infants from a health area of the Region of Murcia (Spain)].

Abstract

Objective: The vaccines that are not funded by the government could create some inequities among the infants, because some of them do not have as many chances to get that immunization as others. The objective of this paper was to calculate the optional vaccinations coverage in vaccines that are not funded by the government, like meningococcal B and rotavirus, in infants less than twelve months and also to analyse the socioeconomic factors related to the administration.

Methods: An analytical observational study was carried out in two basic health areas of the Region of Murcia in 2022. The cohort consisted of 297 infants born in 2017 selected from a health card. Sociodemographic and socioeconomic data were obtained through an ad hoc questionnaire carried out by telephone to parents and/or tutors. The infant's vaccination status was verified in the Regional Vaccine Registry and OMIap primary care registry. Non-funded vaccine coverage rates and the association with these variables were calculated. The statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 21.0 program. The odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using binary logistic regression and multiple logistic regression to independently evaluate the association of variables.

Results: The vaccination coverage against MenB was 49.4% (at least one dose before twelve months) and rotavirus was 56.7% (complete regimen). The variable that was most independently associated with unfunded vaccination was the Spanish nationality of the parents, OR=11.8 (95% CI=5.0 to 28.2), p<0.001 for MenB and OR=7.3 (95% CI=3.5 to 15.1), p<0.001 for rotavirus.

Conclusions: Vaccination coverage against MenB and rotavirus is significantly associated with the socioeconomic factors studied in parents or guardians.