Compliance with the child immunization calendar in family healthcare units

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated compliance with the child immunization calendar among users of the Água Cristal Family Healthcare Unit and explored the reasons for potential non-compliance.
METHOD: This study was prospective and qualitative. It was based on visits to the surveyed children's residences and consisted of a sample of 108 people. The data for this sample were obtained through the current records in the health unit's family files. The sample included children of both genders between the ages of 0 and 2 years who were registered at the Unit in 2007.
RESULTS: We found that 87.97% of the children had up-to-date immunizations, and 13.89% had a history of delayed immunizations. The study found that healthcare community agents' regular interventions were strongly linked to the up-to-date immunization results. Among the children who were immunized late or not at all, the Rotavirus was the most common illness, representing 22.46% of the cases. We also analyzed the factors, such as education and parents' occupation, that could contribute to delayed immunizations. None of these were statistically significant.
CONCLUSION: The results were comparable to other Latin American healthcare centers and confirmed the efficacy of the Family Healthcare Program in the community. However, immunizations have a strong influence on a population's health, and initiatives should be undertaken to decrease the prevalence of diseases and prevent their recurrence.