1. Effective integration of COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization: A case study from Kinshasa, DRC.
- Author
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Mwamba G, Gibson EM, Toko C, Tunda C, Kouabenan YR, Musenga J, Waula B, Nkosi F, Nkima MMC, Mupenda J, Lawrence E, Zameer M, and Musumari P
- Subjects
- Humans, Democratic Republic of the Congo, SARS-CoV-2 immunology, Infant, Vaccination methods, Child, Preschool, Male, Female, COVID-19 prevention & control, Vaccination Coverage statistics & numerical data, COVID-19 Vaccines administration & dosage, COVID-19 Vaccines immunology, Immunization Programs organization & administration
- Abstract
Background: In response to the challenge of maintaining COVID-19 vaccination coverage amidst the pandemic, VillageReach, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health Prevention and Hygiene in Kinshasa, DRC, integrated COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization services at two primary healthcare facilities. This initiative, launched in July 2022, represented the first of its kind in the DRC, aiming to assess the effectiveness and scalability of a multimodal vaccination approach., Methods: Through a rapid appraisal involving key informant interviews and analysis of pre- and post-integration service delivery data, this case study explores the operational dynamics and outcomes of integrating COVID-19 and routine immunizations., Results: Results demonstrated that the integrated approach not only maintained COVID-19 vaccine coverage but also significantly enhanced routine immunization uptake, particularly among under-immunized and zero-dose children. Overall, the vaccination sites, outreach, and integrated health facilities administered 229,983 (33 %) of COVID-19 vaccines in Kinshasa, of which 53 % were referred by community health workers. Additionally, 998 under-immunized children received routine immunizations, of whom 126 were zero-dose children. Key success factors included sustained community health worker engagement, neighborhood-specific strategies, accessible vaccination points, and robust data management. The findings suggest that such integrative strategies can effectively bolster immunization coverage in urban poor communities, offering valuable insights for similar initiatives in the DRC and beyond., Conclusion: This study advocates for sustained investment in innovative immunization models to strengthen primary healthcare systems post-pandemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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