Immunisation cover in Ethiopia: findings from the recent national immunisation survey

Background Though Ethiopia has achieved remarkable progress in immunisation services, there is limited evidence on comprehensive national immunisation coverage. Therefore, this national study evaluated the performance of life-course immunisation services. Methods This study was conducted in all Ethiopian regions and city administrations from March to July 2023. Two-stage stratified cluster sampling was used. About 13666 children aged 12-35 months, 5338 adolescent girls (15–18) and 13843 adults aged 12 years or more were included in the study. Child vaccination status was assessed through reviewing immunisation cards/health facility registration books/caregivers’ recall. A descriptive analysis was done with an adjusted sampling weight. Results Three-fourths of children aged 12-23 months received the first dose of the pentavalent vaccine, and two-thirds received the third dose of the Pentavalent Vaccine. About two-thirds and half of the children received the first and second doses of the Measles vaccine, respectively. The dropout rates for Pentavalent was 14.1% and for Measles, was 19.9%. Full immunisation coverage was 43.9%, and zero-dose children accounted for 24.7%. About 85% of mothers received the first dose of the Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccine. Half of adolescent girls received their first vaccination, and a quarter of them received a second dose of the HPV vaccine. Conclusions Although Ethiopia has made strides in child immunisation, coverage remains below national and global targets. Tetanus-diphtheria vaccine uptake was initially high but dropped significantly by the fourth and fifth doses. HPV vaccine coverage was suboptimal, with most not receiving the second or booster doses. Strengthening national efforts to address both demand and supply barriers is vital for increasing vaccine uptake.