Predictors of pneumococcal immunization uptake among caregivers of children with sickle cell disease in Lagos, Nigeria

Pulmonary infections are still the most prevalent cause of death of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in low and middle income countries. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has been reported to reduce the incidence of pneumococcal disease by up to 90% in children under five. This study set out to report the proportion of children under five attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Massey Street Children’s Hospital (MSCH) in Lagos that received PCV and the factors influencing uptake. A cross sectional study assessed the sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge and practices of 380 caregivers of children with SCD and the immunization status of the children. Proportion of children who had received routine immunization was 99.7%. However, 87 children (22.9%) had been immunized with PCV and predictors for immunization were attending LUTH, mothers’ age, knowledge level of PCV and higher monthly income. The study recommends PCV being made part of the national immunization programme. Key words: Lagos, Nigeria, sickle cell disease, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, immunization uptake.