Vaccination coverage in immigrant and adopted children at their arrival in Catalonia (Spain)

Objectives: to evaluate the vaccination status of immigrant children upon their arrival.

Material and methods: a descriptive, observational transversal study. Population: immigrants between 6 months and 15 years. Variables: social-demographic features from the child and the parents; vaccination register, type and dose of the vaccines administered; adopted (yes/not). To evaluate vaccination status, we used the “Expanded Program on Immunization” (EPI-1974) and the “Children Immigrant Care Protocol” (PANI).

Results: sixty-two percent brought the vaccination register, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 59.3%-65.0%. Correctly vaccinated according to the EPI-1974, 54.1% (IC 95%: 50.0%-57.9%). Country of origin was found to be statistically associated (p < 0.001) with bringing the vaccination register, reading and writing skills and being correctly vaccinated on EPI. Correctly immunized according to PANI: Diphtheria 94% (IC 95%: 91.9%-95.6%); Tetanus 93.2% (IC 95%: 91.1%-95.0%); Pertussis 93.2% (IC 95%: 91.1%-95.0%); Polio 92.9% (IC 95%: 90.8%-94.7%); Measles 41.6% (IC 95%: 37.6%-43.3%); Rubella 27.2% (IC 95%: 24.0%-30.7%); Mumps 20.73% (IC 95%: 17.8%-23.9%); Hepatitis B 48.37% (IC 95%: 44.6%-52.1%); Hepatitis A 1.69% (IC 95%: 0.9%-2.9%); Meningitis C 7.75% (IC 95%: 5.9%-9.9%); Haemophilus influenzae b 19.18% (IC 95%: 16.3%-22.3%); and BCG 81% (IC 95%: 78.5%-83.1%).

Conclusions: many of the children do not have vaccination records. Among those who do, records show a high prevention from Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis. In order to meet the requirements of the vaccination protocol recommended, the rest of the vaccines must be given to the immigrant.