Challenges and barriers to immunization during COVID-19: An experience of parents/caregivers from a well-baby clinic of a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India.

Background: Immunization in children is one of the best methods of preventing vaccine preventable diseases.With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,there have been disruptions in vaccine supply,its uptake and perception towards routine immunization, globally and in India. This study was planned to identify the challenges faced by the parents, the perceived barriers towards childhood immunization and perception regarding vaccination during the ongoing pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the well-baby clinic, providing immunization services. The informants were parents/caregivers of under-five children accompanying their children to the well-baby clinic within the study period. Data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire and analysed using Epi-info software and p value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Delay in immunization was noted in 62% of the children. The challenges stated by respondents for delay in immunization during this pandemic mostly were "fear about getting infected" (30%) and "someone instructed them not to take the child to the hospital if not ill" (13%). The most common perceived barriers were 'no vaccination sites were open' or 'did not know where the baby can be vaccinated'. 'Child should receive all vaccines'(99%) and 'safety is more important than vaccination' (83%)was the perception of respondents about immunization during the pandemic. Conclusion: Though the respondents were aware of the need for timely vaccinations of their children, still a substantial delay was seen among majority of them due to fear of getting infected and unavailability of vaccines.