Adult Vaccination for Preventing Communicable Diseases in an Urban Community of Delhi

Abstract

Introduction: Vaccination is a cornerstone of public health; significantly
reducing the burden of infectious diseases. While childhood immunisation
programmes have made substantial progress, adult vaccination often
receives less attention.
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning
adult vaccination against infectious diseases among adults of an urban
community in Delhi
Methods: Systematic random sampling was used to collect the required
sample from an urban community. Data collection was done by using
a self-designed pre-tested and pre-validated questionnaire. Data
was entered and analysed in Microsoft Excel software for statistical
processing and suitably presented. To determine the association,
the chi-square test was employed. A p value of less than 0.05 was
considered significant.
Results: The awareness regarding adult vaccination against communicable
diseases was as high as 87%. Tetanus vaccine was the most commonly
known (89%), followed by rabies (68%), hepatitis B (58%), influenza
(21%) and pneumococcus (11%). 84% had received any vaccine during
adulthood, tetanus being the most commonly received (83%). Lack of
knowledge about the other available vaccines and lack of prescription by
healthcare providers were identified as the major barriers to vaccination.
Conclusion: A high level of awareness and good acceptance was there
for a few vaccines. Therefore, IEC for other vaccines for infectious
diseases may be used in urban communities to generate demand.

Priyanka, Srivastava N, Kishore J. Adult Vaccination
for Preventing Communicable Diseases in an
Urban Community of Delhi. J Commun Dis.
2024;56(4):158-165.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202487