Results from a survey of national immunization programmes on home-based vaccination record practices in 2013

BACKGROUND: Data on home-based records

(HBRs) practices within national immunization programmes are

non-existent, making it difficult to determine whether current

efforts of immunization programmes related to basic recording of

immunization services are appropriately focused. METHODS: During

January 2014, WHO and the United Nations Children\'s Fund sent a

one-page questionnaire to 195 countries to obtain information on

HBRs including type of record used, number of records printed,

whether records were provided free-of-charge or required by

schools, whether there was a stock-out and the duration of any

stock-outs that occurred, as well as the total expenditure for

printing HBRs during 2013. RESULTS: A total of 140 countries

returned a completed HBR questionnaire. Two countries were excluded

from analysis because they did not use a HBR during 2013. HBR types

varied across countries (vaccination only cards, 32/138 [23.1%];

vaccination plus growth monitoring records, 31/138 [22.4%]; child

health books, 48/138 [34.7%]; combination of these, 27/138 [19.5%]

countries). HBRs were provided free-of-charge in 124/138 (89.8%)

respondent countries. HBRs were required for school entry in 62/138

(44.9%) countries. Nearly a quarter of countries reported HBR

stock-outs during 2013. Computed printing cost per record was