Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40375225›Full record

ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2025

The impact COVID-19 pandemic on coverage and inequalities in childhood immunization in Peru.

Larissa A N Silva, Francine S Costa, Bianca O Cata-Preta, Luis Huicho, Claudio F Lanata, Maria Ana Mendoza Araujo, Theresa J Ochoa, Tewodaj Mengistu, Dan Hogan, Aluisio J D Barros and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal for equity in health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
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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

11 authors.

Larissa A N SilvaInternational Center for Equity in Health and Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160-3° Piso, Bairro Centro - Pelotas, RS, Caixa Postal 464, Pelotas, 96020-220, Brazil. ladna@equidade.org.
Francine S CostaInternational Center for Equity in Health and Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160-3° Piso, Bairro Centro - Pelotas, RS, Caixa Postal 464, Pelotas, 96020-220, Brazil.
Bianca O Cata-PretaPublic Health Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.
Luis HuichoCentro de Investigación en Salud Materna e Infantil and Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral y Sostenible, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
Claudio F LanataDepartment of Pediatrics, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional (IIN), Lima, Peru.
Maria Ana Mendoza AraujoIndependent consultant, Lima, Peru.
Theresa J OchoaInstituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, San Martín de Porres, Peru.
Tewodaj MengistuGavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland.
Dan HoganGavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland.
Aluisio J D BarrosInternational Center for Equity in Health and Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160-3° Piso, Bairro Centro - Pelotas, RS, Caixa Postal 464, Pelotas, 96020-220, Brazil.
Cesar G VictoraInternational Center for Equity in Health and Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160-3° Piso, Bairro Centro - Pelotas, RS, Caixa Postal 464, Pelotas, 96020-220, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe examined the impact of COVID-19 on childhood immunization coverage and inequalities in Peru, focusing on pentavalent, rotavirus, and pneumococcal (PCV) vaccines. Since the 1990s, Peru has worked to improve childhood vaccine coverage, but the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to the health system.

methodsWe analysed data from nationally representative health surveys conducted annually between 2015 and 2023. The surveys measured vaccine coverage among children aged 18-29 months, namely three doses for pentavalent and PCV and two doses for the rotavirus vaccine, based on data from home-based records. We studied inequalities at the individual child level using the slope index of inequality (SII) based on household wealth quintiles.

resultsIn 2019, the home-based record coverage levels for pentavalent, PCV and rotavirus vaccines were 78.0%, 74.5%, and 75.9%, respectively. In 2020, these rates dropped significantly due to pandemic disruptions: PCV and pentavalent coverage fell by 14% points, and rotavirus by 12 points. By 2021, coverage levels improved, returning to pre-pandemic rates by 2022 and 2023. Individual-level analyses showed that pro-rich inequalities were present during the full study period, but these increased sharply during the pandemic in 2020, with poorer children experiencing more significant drops in coverage than wealthier children. This trend reversed by 2021 and 2022 when inequality measures returned to pre-pandemic levels. Due to reasons that are still unclear, inequality increased again in 2023. Nevertheless, the confidence intervals for the summary inequality measures are wide and must be interpreted cautiously.

conclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted Peru's childhood immunization efforts, particularly affecting poorer populations, but coverage rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by 2022. These findings contribute to the scant literature on the pandemic's impact on vaccine equity.

Indexed as

COVID-19Healthcare DisparitiesVaccination CoverageChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMalePandemicsPeruPneumococcal VaccinesRotavirus VaccinesSARS-CoV-2Socioeconomic FactorsPneumococcal VaccinesRotavirus Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID40375225
PMCPMC12083180

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.