Abstract:

Background information: The use of vaccination is estimated to prevent 2.5 million deaths every year. Measles, polio, tuberculosis, influenza are examples among the many vaccines preventable diseases, and all have decreased in incidence over the past decades and in fact polio has been eradicated moreover between the year 2000 and 2010, death secondary to polio, measles, tetanus and diphtheria have reduced from 0.9 million to 0.4 million worldwide secondary to increased vaccine uptake. However, there’s recurrence of vaccine preventable diseases among unvaccinated children despite the availability of vaccine in both rural and urban areas. With the study conducted, maternal knowledge on childhood vaccination was the major setback for complete immunization and the reasons for increased number of children who aren’t vaccinated, parental concerns on vaccine safety and side effects were also elicited. The objective of this study was to determine the readiness of primigravidae to send their newborns for routine immunization, facilitators and barriers at Makongoro antenatal clinic in Mwanza Tanzania.

Methods: A cross sectional-based study was conducted among first time expectant mothers at Makongoro antenatal clinic in Mwanza Tanzania. Random sampling technique was used in which 286 prim gravidae were involved in the study. Data was collected using structured questionnaire in which both quantitative and qualitative data was collected from primigravidae after their consent have been attained. The structured questionnaire was available in both English and Swahili. Data analysis and processing was done through IBM SPSS statistics 20 computer program. Qualitative data were summarized categorically, categorical data were tabulated and frequencies and percentage were computed by plotting pie charts. Where quantitative data were summarized numerically, were computed by giving quantitative measures.

Results: A total 286 primigravidae, in which majority age ranged from 18-24 years, majority were married, Muslim, unemployed, Sukuma and from rural. Majority of the primigravidae 173(60.5%) were ready to send their newborn for vaccination and 113(39.5%) were not ready to send their newborns for vaccination. Among the factors that were attributed to the readiness among these yet to come mothers ere education level, in which those from university/ college were 100% ready to vaccinate their newborns, followed by those from secondary school level, then primary and lastly those who had no any formal education. Readiness was further more increased in those who resided from urban compared to those from rural, those who were married, followed by those who were cohabitating, single and lastly those who were divorced. And lastly the mother occupation also determined readiness for immunization, in which those who were employed had the highest frequency, compared to those who unemployed. Furthermore, among the enrolled primigravidae, majority had vaccination when they were young 145(50.7%), majority were aware of childhood vaccination about 161(56.3%), 125(43.7%) were not aware of the childhood vaccination, those who had information had it partial but were ready to vaccinate their newborns. Majority agreed that vaccination status pose a great danger to their newborns about 135(47.2%), while 124(44.1%) denied that there’s no danger and 25(8.7%) were not aware of any danger. Majority had full belief with safety of the vaccine to their newborn but others did not agree that vaccine are safe for their newborn (151(52.8%) vs18(6.3%)) respectively and 117(40.9%) they didn’t know that affected the vaccination uptake. Moreover, most were not aware that full vaccination is not achieved by one single dose in which 137(47.9%) didn’t know at all, 22(7.7%) agreed that only single dose is enough and only 127(44.4%) agreed that isn’t sufficient which shows still immunization knowledge among the community isn’t sufficient enough. Most said it’s not safe to give multiple doses at once were 118(41.3%), and healthy babies don’t require vaccine sine they are already health were about 143(50.0%). Nevertheless, distance from the health facilities was the main barrier for vaccination uptake especially for those who were from rural areas about167 (58.4%). Out of the 286-sample population 154(53.8%) reported that their families had positive attitude towards childhood vaccine, 109(38.1%) were not aware and 23(8.0%) had negative perception on vaccination. Furthermore 56(19.6%) of the sample population believed that vaccine can bring disability, 109(38.1%) said no and 121(42.3%) said they don’t know, 40(14%) believed that vaccine can cause death, 112(39.2%) believed it couldn’t and 134(46.9%) they don’t know. 78(27.3) believed that vaccine cause severe side effects, 86(30.1%) said no and 122(42.7%) they don’t know. And lastly among the primigravidae 155(54.2%) reported good perception of vaccine from their partner, 115(40.2%) didn’t know their partner perception on vaccine and 16(5.6%) reported negative perception from their partner.

Conclusion: With regards to the information obtained from this research, the community had no enough knowledge on the childhood vaccination especially the first-time mothers regarding their benefits and challenges and that’s why still vaccine preventable diseases still occur in our community, this is because of either incomplete vaccination or no vaccination at all. and the group who are highest susceptible to these diseases are the under five children. And this is because when you educate the mother u save the child by hundred percent and the frontline in taking care of the children.