Abstract
At present there is a shortage of data regarding the rate of routine immunization in Swiss children. To address this deficit, a representative cross sectional study was conducted in the Canton of Zurich with 210 children aged between 24 and 36 months. Data was taken from the individual official vaccination certificates. 178 vaccination certificates (55.1% female and 44.9% male) were evaluated, corresponding to a response rate of 84.8%. With children of foreign nationalities, the response rate was 66.7%, whereas the response rate of Swiss children was 90.6% (p < 0.001). The response rate of children of a European nationality outside the European Union was especially poor (33.3%). The immunization rate with three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis vaccines was 99.4%, and that of the pertussis vaccine was 93.3%. With the vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella the rates were 80.3%, 78.1% and 77.5% respectively. Vaccination rate against Haemophilus influenzae type B was 74.7% with two doses, and 61.2% with three doses. The timing and the number of doses of the vaccines used for infants in the Canton of Zurich were satisfactory. However, the vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella is inadequate. Attention should be paid to this problem and also to possible insufficient care of foreign children.
Vranjes, Nenad