Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routine Childhood Vaccination Coverage in Ecuador: A Comparative Analysis (2019-2021)
ABSTRACT
Abstract:
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted healthcare services globally, including routine immunization programs. In Ecuador, a mid-dle-income country with diverse geographical and socioeconomic characteristics, under-standing the pandemic's impact on vaccination coverage is crucial for public health plan-ning.
Objective:
This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in Ecuador by analyzing trends before (2019) and during the pan-demic (2020-2021).
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective observational study using data from the Ministry of Public Health and the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Ecuador. Coverage rates for routine childhood vaccinations were calculated and com-pared between pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic periods (2020-2021). Statistical anal-yses included descriptive statistics, trend analysis, and comparative analysis across dif-ferent vaccines and geographical regions.
Results:
Significant declines in routine vaccina-tion coverage were observed during the pandemic. BCG vaccine coverage decreased from 86.5% in 2019 to 80.6% in 2020, and further to 75.3% in 2021. Similar declining patterns were observed for pentavalent (85.0% to 68.0%), pneumococcal (83.2% to 62.2%), and rota-virus (84.6% to 60.5%) vaccines. By 2021, coverage rates for some vaccines fell below 60%, with SRP2 (measles, rubella, and mumps) dropping from 75.7% to 58.4%. Regional dis-parities were also identified, with coastal and highland provinces experiencing more se-vere reductions.
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted routine immunization programs in Ecuador, potentially increasing the risk of outbreaks of vac-cine-preventable diseases. Addressing disparities in access to vaccination services is cru-cial for improving overall coverage. These findings highlight the need for targeted inter-ventions to recover vaccination rates and strengthen immunization systems against future health crises
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