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Vaccination Coverage Against COVID-19 Among a Rural Population in Northern Part of India: A Population-Based Study
37 Pages Posted: 25 Jul 2023
More...Abstract
Background: Conducting a study to assess the COVID-19 vaccine coverage in rural pre-dominant areas will help to understand the penetration of the vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 health crisis. The current study aimed to investigate the vaccination coverage against COVID-19 among the rural adult population in India and to identify factors associated with vaccination coverage.Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among a rural population in the Northern part of India. Data were collected from January to February 2023. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed on the SurveyMonkey digital platform for interviewing the participants, that consisted of the socio-demographic profile, health problems, vaccination status, types of vaccine, re-infection after vaccination, and functional difficulties.Findings: A total of 3700 eligible individuals were enumerated for the survey, out of which 2954 (79.8%) were interviewed. The infection rate of past COVID-19 infection, based on self-report of being tested positive, was 6.2% (95%CI: 5.3-7.1). Covishield vaccine was received by most participants (81.3%, 2380) followed by Covaxin (12.3%, 361) and Pfizer manufactured vaccine (0.03,1). The coverage for first, second, and booster doses of the vaccine was 98.2% (2902), 94.8% (2802), and 10.7% (315) respectively. The risk of reinfection at 12 months or more among participants with two doses of vaccine was 1.6% (46/2802, 95%CI: 1.2-2.1). The coverage in participants with severe vision problems was 95.7%, while it was only 78.6% in those with difficulties in self-care. The coverage among those with severe difficulties in mobility, cognition, self-care, and communication were significantly lower as compared to those with no such difficulties.Interpretation: Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 in rural areas of India is not dependent on factors like age, gender, education, and occupation. Although the full and partial vaccination coverage is high, the booster dose coverage is poor. In addition, the presence of disability was significantly associated with reduced vaccination coverage.Funding: The study was funded by a research grant obtained from the Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination coverage, reinfection, disability, rural India
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