Effective integration of COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization: A case study from Kinshasa, DRC.

Effective integration of COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization: A case study from Kinshasa, DRC.

Publication date: Oct 04, 2024

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. 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 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. This study advocates for sustained investment in innovative immunization models to strengthen primary healthcare systems post-pandemic.

Open Access PDF

Concepts Keywords
July Community health worker
Vaccination COVID-19 vaccine
Valuable Equity
Integration
Routine immunization
Zero-dose

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19
drug DRUGBANK Spinosad
disease IDO facility
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH vaccine preventable diseases
disease IDO site
disease IDO process
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease MESH chronic conditions
disease MESH retirement
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease MESH privacy
disease IDO history

Original Article

(Visited 3 times, 1 visits today)