Why some babies in Tanzania get vaccines late
Determinants of delayed or incomplete diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination in parallel urban and rural birth cohorts of 30,956 infants in Tanzania
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at why some babies in Tanzania don’t get their vaccines on time. It found that in rural areas, babies whose parents didn’t go to school, were born at home, or came from poor families were more likely to miss vaccines. In cities, babies whose moms waited until late in pregnancy to go to the doctor or were from poor families were more likely to miss vaccines. In cities, mom’s education didn’t matter much.
Surprising Findings
Low birth weight infants in rural Tanzania had a 31% lower risk of delayed DTP1 vaccination.
In nearly all other LMICs, low birth weight babies are more likely to miss vaccines due to illness, hospitalization, or being overlooked. Here, they’re getting vaccinated faster — possibly because they’re flagged at birth or receive more follow-up.
Practical Takeaways
Design vaccination campaigns that engage fathers in rural areas — through community meetings, SMS messages to dads, or involving male elders in health education.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at why some babies in Tanzania don’t get their vaccines on time. It found that in rural areas, babies whose parents didn’t go to school, were born at home, or came from poor families were more likely to miss vaccines. In cities, babies whose moms waited until late in pregnancy to go to the doctor or were from poor families were more likely to miss vaccines. In cities, mom’s education didn’t matter much.
Surprising Findings
Low birth weight infants in rural Tanzania had a 31% lower risk of delayed DTP1 vaccination.
In nearly all other LMICs, low birth weight babies are more likely to miss vaccines due to illness, hospitalization, or being overlooked. Here, they’re getting vaccinated faster — possibly because they’re flagged at birth or receive more follow-up.
Practical Takeaways
Design vaccination campaigns that engage fathers in rural areas — through community meetings, SMS messages to dads, or involving male elders in health education.
Publication
Journal
BMC Infectious Diseases
Year
2019
Authors
Pranay Nadella, Emily R. Smith, A. Muhihi, Ramadhani A. Noor, H. Masanja, W. Fawzi, C. Sudfeld
Related Content
Claims (10)
In rural Tanzania, babies born at home are more likely to miss their DTP shots on time compared to babies born in hospitals or clinics.
In urban Tanzania, babies born to teen moms are more likely to miss their DTP shots on time compared to babies born to moms in their mid-20s.
In cities in Tanzania, moms who wait until late in pregnancy to see a doctor for the first time are much more likely to have babies who don’t get their vaccines on time.
In urban Tanzania, babies from the poorest families are more likely to miss their DTP shots on time compared to babies from the richest families.
In urban Tanzania, moms who start prenatal care late (third trimester) are more likely to have babies who miss their first DTP shot on time compared to moms who start in the second trimester.