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  • Title: Turkey still set on universal immunization despite hurdles.
    Journal: CVI Forum; 1994 Apr; (6):6-7. PubMed ID: 12321778.
    Abstract:
    During Turkey's first national immunization campaign in 1985, more than two-thirds of the country's 5 million children under age 5 years were vaccinated against the major childhood diseases. UNICEF declared the campaign an unprecedented national effort and forecast that India was on course for universal immunization by the end of 1986. Now, with about 70% of infants under 1 year old fully immunized, Turkey still has some distance to go before achieving universal coverage. A number of factors frustrate efforts to achieve higher immunization coverage in Turkey. For example, with only half of the 150,000 babies born each year delivered in hospital, and parents not being required to register births soon after delivery, it is very difficult to keep track of infant births. Turkey also has a large number of people who are continuously on the move. Furthermore, since Turkey is mainly a mountainous country, it is difficult to reach children with vaccines. Once children have been identified and entered into the vaccination process, it is difficult to keep them in the immunization program until they have completed their full-dose schedule; the dropout rate is about 10%. Both mothers and health personnel need to be taught the benefits of immunizing children against vaccine-preventable diseases. To broaden vaccination coverage in Turkey, the health ministry has an ongoing communications program, a National Advisory Immunization Council was recently created, and the country's National Pediatric Association has become more involved.
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