An analysis of the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey reveals that nearly 42.9% of children aged 12–23 months had either not received any vaccines or had an incomplete immunization schedule. The study identifies key risk factors associated with this gap, including residence in the Northern or North Western regions, childbirth outside of health facilities, younger maternal age (especially 15–20 years), and higher birth order (7th child or beyond).
The authors stress that improving vaccine uptake in Sierra Leone will require more than generic scale-up strategies: they call for targeted interventions that address structural and socio-demographic obstacles. Recommendations include strengthening facility-based delivery systems, expanding community engagement and health education, enhancing defaulter-tracking systems, and tailoring outreach to underserved regions and younger or less-educated mothers.
Thumbnail image credit: WHO / Ipro Media
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