Journal article
Reply to comments on Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the role of surveys.
Dear Editor,
We thank Pond and Mounier-Jack for their comments on our
paper, ‘‘Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the role of
surveys” [1]. We agree that for many countries, administrative
estimates of coverage are greatly inflated and misleading for programme
planning purposes. The robustness of the WHO-UNICEF
estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) depends
on the quality of the underlying data reviewed, which include
administrative reports, as well as probability and non-probability
sample surveys. In 2012, the Grade of Confidence (GoC) was introduced
as a means of conveying uncertainty in WUENIC [2] and is
low in the seven conflict-affected countries listed by Pond and
Mounier-Jack. Table 1 shows that in five of these countries,
vaccination cards were available for less than half the children surveyed;
when card availability is low, it is particularly difficult to
compare coverage trends. For example, in Nigeria, the proportion
of children with DTP3 according to card was similar in surveys in
2010, 2011 and 2013, but in the EPI survey of 2010 a verbal history
of vaccination was reported for 43% of children, more than double
that of previous or subsequent surveys. Elsewhere, results from
surveys did not always match expected trends (e.g. no apparent
fall in coverage between surveys despite a 7 month stockout of
DTP in one country), and some results were very unlikely (e.g. zero
dropout between DTP1 and DTP3 in one Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS) (data from country reports at http://apps.who.int/
immunization_monitoring/globalsummary/wucoveragecountrylist.
html)).
The updated WHO guidelines on vaccination coverage surveys
(http://www.who.int/immunization/monitoring_surveillance/
Vaccination_coverage_cluster_survey_with_annexes.pdf) discuss the challenges of using a new survey to compare with an older
one, particularly an immunization coverage survey – these often
lacked information on likely biases and confidence intervals were
either not reported or not very meaningful from non-probability
samples. The best way to compare results from different surveys
is to plan a pair of surveys for such a purpose and work very hard
to ensure standardised, well-documented and high quality data
collection in both. Pond and Mounier-Jack suggest that two such
surveys are feasible within each 5 years period. We would be
reluctant to stipulate any particular interval as the usefulness of
repeat surveys will depend in part on the likelihood of a change
in coverage having occurred (which can be predicted from
monitoring other indicators) [1] and the availability of accurate
documentation of vaccination status on home-based or clinic
records. Most of all, surveys should lead to action to strengthen
programme performance and this is likely the weakest link in
many countries, including those affected by conflict.
Languages
- English
Journal
Vaccine
Volume
2016 Dec 7;34(50):6112-6113. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.09.067.
Type
Journal article
Categories
- Data
Topic references
COV-METH-PUB
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Comments on ‘‘Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the role of surveys” | Robert Pond, Sandra Mounier-Jack | Journal article | English | |
Consultancy services for conducting an evaluation of immunisation coverage monitoring methodology and process | Wolfgang Weber, Xavier Bosch-Capblanch | Guidance | English | |
Does adjusting for recall in trend analysis affect coverage estimates for maternal and child health indicators? An analysis of DHS and MICS survey data | Donela Besada, Nicholas P. Oliphant, Nobubelo K. Ngandu, Samuel Manda, Sarah Rohde, Tanya Doherty | Journal article | English | |
Effectiveness of Using Mobile Phone Image Capture for Collecting Secondary Data: A Case Study on Immunization History Data Among Children in Remote Areas of Thailand | Amnat Khamsiriwatchara, Jaranit Kaewkungwal, Kasemsak Jandee, Peerawat Wansatid, Saranath Lawpoolsri, Waranya Wongwit | 2015 | Journal article | English |
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Immunization Coverage Surveys and Linked Biomarker Serosurveys in Three Regions in Ethiopia | Jaya Goswami, Amha Kebede, Berhane Beyene, Inna Ruslanova, James D Campbell, Jenny Sequeira, Lisa Oot, Marcela F. Pasetti, Mardi Reymann, Mark A Travassos, Myron M Levine, Nigisti Mulholland, Robert Steinglass, Samba O Sow, Seydou S Diarra, Tassew Kassa, William C. Blackwelder, Yukun Wu, Zenaw Adam | Journal article | English | |
Issues and considerations in the use of serologic biomarkers for classifying vaccination history in household surveys | Adam MacNeil, Chung-won Lee, Vance Dietz | 1960 | Journal article | English |
Lot Quality Assurance Sampling to Monitor Supplemental Immunization Activity Quality: An Essential Tool for Improving Performance in Polio Endemic Countries | Alexandra E. Brown, Arshad Quddus, George Walker, Guillaume Chabot-Couture, Hiromasa Okayasu, Michael M. Nzioki, Mufti Z. Wadood, Roland W. Sutter | Journal article | English | |
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Measuring coverage in MNCH: total survey error and the interpretation of intervention coverage estimates from household surveys. | Aluisio J D Barros, Dale A. Rhoda, Felicity T Cutts, Fred Arnold, Joseph Keating, Ruilin Ren, Thomas P. Eisele | Journal article | English | |
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Tracking Progress in Health for Women and Children Using DHS and MICS Household Surveys | Attila Hancioglu, Fred Arnold | Journal article | English | |
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Measuring the performance of vaccination programs using cross-sectional surveys: a likelihood framework and retrospective analysis. | Bryan T. Grenfell, C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Derek A. T. Cummings, Francisco J. Luquero, Justin Lessler, Rebecca F. Grais | Journal article | English | |
Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the role of surveys | Dale A. Rhoda, Felicity T Cutts, M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday, Pierre Claquin | Journal article | English | |
Reply to comments on Monitoring vaccination coverage: Defining the role of surveys. | Dale A. Rhoda, Felicity T Cutts, M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday, Pierre Claquin | Journal article | English | |
Seroepidemiology: an underused tool for designing and monitoring vaccination programmes in low- and middleincome countries | Felicity T Cutts, Matt Hanson | Journal article | English | |
Use and abuse of rapid monitoring to assess coverage during mass vaccination campaigns. | Elizabeth T. Luman, K. Lisa Cairns, Robert Perry, Vance Dietz | Guidance | English | |
Validity of reported vaccination coverage in 45 countries. | Christopher J. L. Murray, Bakhuti Shengelia, Neeru Gupta, Saba Moussavi, Ajay Tandon, Michel Thieren | 2003 | Journal article | English |
Validity of vaccination cards and parental recall to estimate vaccination coverage: a systematic review of the literature. | Elizabeth T. Luman, Elizabeth Zell, Melody Miles, Tove K. Ryman, Vance Dietz | Journal article | English |