Varicella vaccine uptake in Shandong Province, China

Vaccination coverage surveys - Publication

abstract: Varicella vaccine has been licensed in China for decade

to be used as single dose in children aged ≥ 12 mo of age in

private sector. Little data were available on varicella uptake to

date in China yet. A cross-sectional study was conducted in

Shandong Province in May 2011 to examine varicella vaccination

coverage among children aged 16-40 mo and examine factors

associated with varicella vaccine uptake. The overall coverage

among children eligible for varicella vaccine was 62% (range

16.7-94.7% by county), much lower than the coverage of the eight

vaccines included in the national immunization program (all above

97%). Though proximity to immunization services (