Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34201684›Full record

ArticleVaccines2021

COVID-19 and the Gaping Wounds of South Africa's Suboptimal Immunisation Coverage: An Implementation Research Imperative for Assessing and Addressing Missed Opportunities for Vaccination.

Chukwudi A Nnaji, Charles S Wiysonge, Maia Lesosky, Hassan Mahomed, Duduzile Ndwandwe

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Vaccine Dispensing in a Section of the Private Healthcare Sector in South Africa (2017-2021).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of nursing students regarding vaccines.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2024
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Chukwudi A NnajiDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-4132-1922
Charles S WiysongeDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1273-4779
Maia LesoskyDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
Hassan MahomedWestern Cape Provincial Department of Health, 8 Riebeeck Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa.
Duduzile NdwandweCochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town 7501, South Africa.
South African Medical Research Council · ZAUniversity of Cape Town · ZAWestern Cape Department of Health · ZA

Funding

National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka funding instrument (NRF Rating Track) 117840
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite South Africa's substantial investments in and efforts at ensuring universal access to immunisation services, progress has stalled and remains suboptimal across provinces and districts. An additional challenge is posed by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has disrupted immunisation services globally, including in South Africa. While there is growing evidence that missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) are a major contributor to suboptimal immunisation progress globally, not much is known about the burden and determinants of MOV in the South African context. Herein, we make a case for assessing MOV as a strategy to address current immunisation coverage gaps while mitigating the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunisation services. We illustrate a practical implementation research approach to assessing the burden of MOV among children in primary care settings; for understanding the factors associated with MOV; and for designing, implementing, and evaluating context-appropriate quality improvement interventions for addressing missed opportunities. Such efforts are vital for building health system resilience and maintaining immunisation programme capacity to optimally deliver essential health services such as routine childhood immunisation, even during pandemics.

Indexed as

COVID-19immunisation coverageimplementation researchmissed opportunities for vaccinationquality improvementSouth Africa

Identifiers

PMID34201684
PMCPMC8310047
OpenAlexW3177021882

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.