ABSTRACT
Objective
To describe vaccination coverage and hesitation for the basic children’s schedule in Belo Horizonte and Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
Methods
Population-based epidemiological surveys performed from 2020 to 2022, which estimated vaccine coverage by type of immunobiological product and full schedule (valid and ministered doses), according to socioeconomic strata; and reasons for vaccination hesitancy.
Results
Overall coverage with valid doses and vaccination hesitancy for at least one vaccine were, respectively, 50.2% (95%CI 44.1;56.2) and 1.6% (95%CI 0.9;2.7), in Belo Horizonte (n = 1,866), and 64.9% (95%CI 56.9;72.1) and 1.0% (95%CI 0.3;2.8), in Sete Lagoas (n = 451), with differences between socioeconomic strata. Fear of severe reactions was the main reason for vaccination hesitancy.
Conclusion
Coverage was identified as being below recommended levels for most vaccines. Disinformation should be combated in order to avoid vaccination hesitancy. There is a pressing need to recover coverages, considering public health service access and socioeconomic disparities.
Keywords
Vaccination Coverage; Health Surveys; Immunization Programs; Basic Children’s Schedule; Socioeconomic Disparities in Health; Vaccination Hesitancy
Study contributions
Main results
Vaccination coverage of children up to 4 years old was 50.2% in Belo Horizonte, and 64.9% in Sete Lagoas. Fear of severe reactions and believing that vaccination against eradicated diseases is unnecessary were the main reasons for vaccination hesitancy.
Implications for services
Recovery of high vaccination coverage among children, considering public health service access conditions and socioeconomic inequities. Acting on reasons for hesitancy that can assist in targeting actions.
Perspectives
The multifactorial context of vaccination hesitancy demands the development of health education strategies to raise awareness about child immunization.
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