High vaccination coverage, inadequate knowledge and high vector density: Findings from a community-based cross-sectional study on Japanese Encephalitis in Yangon, Myanmar

F1000Res. 2020 Jun 30:9:6. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.21702.2. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease with high case fatality and no specific treatment. Little is known about the community's (especially parents/guardians of children) awareness regarding JE and its vaccine in Yangon region, which bears the highest JE burden in Myanmar. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in Yangon region (2019) to explore the knowledge and perception of parents/guardians of 1-15 year-old children about JE disease, its vaccination and to describe JE vaccine coverage among 1-15 year-old children. We followed multi-stage random sampling (three stages) to select the 600 households with 1-15 year-old children from 30 clusters in nine townships. Analyses were weighted (inverse probability sampling) for the multi-stage sampling design. Results: Of 600 parents/guardians, 38% exhibited good knowledge of JE , 55% perceived JE as serious in children younger than 15 years and 59% perceived the vaccine to be effective . Among all the children in the 600 households, the vaccination coverage was 97% (831/855). Conclusion: In order to reduce JE incidence in the community, focus on an intensified education program is necessary to sustain the high vaccine coverage in the community.

Keywords: JE vaccine; SORT IT; caregiver’s knowledge; community-based survey; knowledge and perception.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Encephalitis, Japanese* / epidemiology
  • Encephalitis, Japanese* / prevention & control
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myanmar
  • Parents
  • Vaccination Coverage / statistics & numerical data*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.10548623.v1

Grants and funding

This research was conducted through the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT), a global partnership led by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO/TDR). The model is based on a course developed jointly by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF/Doctors Without Borders). The specific SORT IT programme which resulted in this publication was jointly organized and implemented by The Centre for Operational Research, The Union, Paris, France; Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Sports, Yangon; Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Sports, Nay Pyi Taw; The Union Country Office, Mandalay, Myanmar; The Union South-East Asia Office, New Delhi, India and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. The training programme, within which this paper was developed, was funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), London, UK. We received funding support (USD $1200) for data collection from the Department of Medical Research under Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar.