Vitamin A Immunization Uptake, Awareness and Childhood Infections

Abstract

Vitamin A is essential for growth, development, cell recognition, vision immune function and reproduction. Its deficiency results in Vitamin A deficiency disorders, which include severe infections in infants and Post-partum mothers and is a major cause of childhood mortality. Consequently, the Government of Kenya has included it as one of the Vaccinations given at no cost, under the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization (KEPI) to newborns, infants and children at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 as well as 60 months. Vitamin A supplementation is also given in the same program to less than 6 weeks’ Post-partum mothers, to boost their immunity and prevent severe infections. This study is examined the uptake or lack thereof, of the immunization and awareness in women at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital. In particular, pregnant women attending antenatal clinic were randomly selected to respond to a questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive Statistics. Although 65.5% of the women had heard of the Vitamin A immunization, only 39%had given their children at least one dose. Additionally, 63.4% of the women did not know the importance of the Vitamin A to their Children or themselves. 61% of the women did not see the need for the Vitamin A Immunization, which tallied with those who did not know its importance. However, majority of the women reported Health Care Facilities as their source of information. This could be leveraged by integrating more information on the Vitamin A Immunization Antenatal clinics. There might be an association or link between this lack of knowledge of the importance of the crucial immunization with severe infections in Children or Post-partum mothers at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital, which need to be investigated in a more robust Longitudinal Study Design