Understanding the factors associated with slow progress in childhood immunization in India and selected states

Abhishek Kumar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

This paper attempts to understand the factors associated with slow progress in coverage of basic childhood immunization in India and states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar using three rounds of National Family Health Survey data. States are selected on the basis of changes in full immunization coverage during 1992-2006. Bivariate, multivariate and drop out rates are used to understand the differentials and changes in immunization coverage. The result reveals that there has been substantial improvement in partial immunization in most of the states. However the increase in full immunization coverage is relatively slow in India and states. Along with other factors, availability of health card, ANC visits of mother are found two crucial determinants in explaining the full immunization coverage in selected states irrespective of time. Finding further reveals that higher drop out of DPT3 and Measles are responsible for slow increase in full immunization coverage in selected states.