Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccination among Vietnamese Children: Implications for the Expanded Program on Immunization.

Background: This study assesses the prevalence of Vietnamese children receiving the hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine birth dose and explores its associated socioeconomic factors.

Methods: We used the data of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2014. We estimated the overall percentage of HepB birth dose vaccination among 0-23-month-old children and its percentages according to selected characteristics. Multiple logistic regression was applied.

Results: 62.8% of children received the HepB vaccine birth dose. The prevalence rates by selected factors ranged from 35.3% to 76.7%. The categories with the lowest prevalence rates were children who had low birth weight (41.6%), had a mother aged less than 20 years (35.3%), had a mother with primary or less education (42.7%), belonged to ethnic minorities (30.3%), resided in rural areas (59.9%), and were in the 1 quintile of mother's socioeconomic status (38.6%). Receiving HepB vaccine birth dose was associated with child's birth weight, mother's age, mother's education, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.

Conclusions: This study identified vulnerable groups, upon which policy-makers should focus their efforts to equitably and sustainably tackle birth dose HepB vaccine coverage as well as the full vaccination coverage, thereby promoting long-lasting herd immunity in this country.