Post-campaign survey against measles vaccination in the provinces of the DRC in 2023: vaccination coverage and associated factors

Abstract

This study, conducted in accordance with the DRC's measles elimination plan, following the follow-up vaccination campaign for children aged 6 to 59 months against measles, aimed to assess vaccination coverage and identify factors contributing to its improvement. Implemented from 2023 to 2024 in all 26 provinces, using the WHO's 2018 multi-stage cluster sampling method, it covered 9,627 of these children during the campaign, selected by multi-stage random sampling, from the health zone down to the household level. Bivariate and then multivariate analysis of household data on children's characteristics and vaccination status, as well as comparisons of vaccination coverage before and after the campaign (at a significance level of p=5%), established that 90.92% of children were vaccinated during the campaign, according to map and history data. 12.88% were registered according to the map, and 10.49% had a correctly completed card. The campaign's coverage target was met in 14 provinces. Vaccination coverage, higher in rural than urban areas, increased with the children's age, was higher among boys than girls, and higher among children cared for by their mothers than by their fathers. These results, which highlight the campaign's contribution to children's vaccination status, indicate the need to adapt vaccination strategies based on disparities related to children's characteristics, including their place of residence.