Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42347611›Full record

ArticleVaccines2026

Community-Led Defaulter Tracking for Catch-Up Vaccination: Implementation Experience in Uganda, 2022 and 2024.

Joseph Magoola, Brooke N Aksnes, Immaculate Ampeire, Yvette Wibabara, Ciara E Sugerman, Kirsten Ward

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Joseph MagoolaAfrican Field Epidemiology Network, Lugogo House, Kampala 12874, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-0157-632X
Brooke N AksnesGlobal Immunization Division, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Immaculate AmpeireExpanded Program on Immunization, Ministry of Health, Kampala 7272, Uganda.
Yvette WibabaraUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kampala 1577, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-4346-8810
Ciara E SugermanGlobal Immunization Division, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Kirsten WardGlobal Immunization Division, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4310-0442

Funding

CDC HHS NU66GH002172
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Uganda, COVID-19-related disruptions increased the number of children who missed scheduled routine vaccination (defaulters). Identifying and following up with defaulter children is important for improving vaccination coverage. This paper describes Uganda's experience in revitalizing community-led defaulter tracking to improve vaccination coverage post-COVID-19 in four purposefully selected districts.

methodsDuring two 6-month periods in 2022 and 2024, healthcare workers (HCWs) worked with village health teams (VHTs) to review health facility-based immunization registers, identify and track defaulters aged 0 to 59 months. VHTs visited identified defaulters' homes, reviewed vaccination histories and reminded caregivers to bring defaulters to immunization sites for catch-up vaccination.

resultsOverall, 20,922 defaulters were identified by health register review; VHTs located 15,749 (75.3%) through household visits, of whom 3688 (23.4%) were verified as previously vaccinated based on their home-based vaccination records, leaving 12,061 as true defaulters. Among the true defaulters, 9662 (80.1%) received at least one catch-up vaccination after follow-up by the VHT. The most frequently administered catch-up vaccines were measles-rubella first dose (MR1) at 55.4%, followed by diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis third dose (DTP3) at 48.3% and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) at 47.4%. Among the 2399 children who remained unvaccinated after follow-up, the most common reasons were relocation outside the original catchment area (49.5%) and caregiver intention to vaccinate later (16.3%).

conclusionCommunity-led defaulter tracking was feasible and improved vaccination uptake in post-COVID-19 Uganda. Strengthening the quality and availability of health facility immunization data, along with targeted community engagement, caregiver reminders and integrated vaccination services would improve identification and follow-up of defaulters, reducing population immunity gaps.

Indexed as

catchup vaccinationdefaulter trackingimmunizationUganda

Identifiers

PMID42347611
PMCPMC13307619

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LicenceCC BY
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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.