Rotavirus Vaccine Coverage and Associated Factors Among a Rural Population: Findings from a Primary Health-Care Project in Two Northwest Ethiopia Districts.

Objective: Rotavirus vaccines reduced severe rotavirus disease by more than 60% during the first year of life. In Ethiopia, however, about 28% and 6% of diarrheal disease hospitalizations and deaths among under-five children are associated with rotavirus, respectively. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate rotavirus coverage and associated factors in a rural population of the northwest, Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2019, in Dabat and Gondar Zuria districts, northwest Ethiopia. Data from 603 mothers paired with children aged 12-36 months were collected through house-to-house visits. Variables having a p-value <0.05 were considered to have a significant association with the outcome. Odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of association.

Results: The prevalence of rotavirus vaccine coverage among children was 76.60% (95% CI; 69.98, 83.22). The dropout rate for rotavirus vaccine dose 2 out of rotavirus vaccine dose 1 was 1.99%. Mothers with formal education [AOR = 3.04; 95% CI: 1.63, 5.67] and received postnatal care [AOR = 4.37; 95% CI: 2.62, 7.27] had higher odds of rotavirus vaccine completion versus those without formal education and had not received postnatal care, respectively. Similarly, mothers who took <1 hour to reach the vaccination center ([AOR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.34, 4.2]) were positive predictors of rotavirus vaccine completion.

Conclusion: Rotavirus vaccine coverage in our study area was lower than the expected WHO target. Formal education, postnatal care, and time taken to reach vaccination centers were predictors to achieving full rotavirus vaccine coverage of children. Health-care services utilization after delivery should be intensified to improved child rotavirus vaccine completion in the districts. The long travel time should be dealt with by strengthening outreach services and increasing the number of new vaccination centers in the districts.