Vaccination delay in children born prematurely with very low birth weight

Abstract

Objective: To determine the delay and the percentage of very low birth weight preterm infants with vaccination delay up to two years of age; compare the percentage of children with vaccination delay during hospitalization with delay after discharge of the neonatal unit, and analyze factors associated with vaccination delay during hospitalization in the neonatal unit. Methods: Restrospective study with inclusion of children born from September, 2011 to September 2012 with gestational age < 37 weeks and birth weight <1500g at Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal de São Paulo who are in follow-up at the premature outclinic of the institution. Preterm infants with vaccination contraindication will be excluded. Data related to maternal and children demographic and clinical characteristics during neonatal period and those related with vaccination will be searched by chart review and vaccination card. Vaccination delay will be analyzed by the Health Secretary of São Paulo State´s schedule in regard to the following vaccines: hepatitis B, BCG, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal, meningococcal, poliovirus, rotavirus, measles, mumps, rubeola, influenza and varicella. A sample size of 96 children was planned to be included considering a prevalence of 50% of vaccination delay, absolute precision of 10%, level of significance of 5%. Numerical variables will be compared by t-test or Mann-Whitney and categorical variables by Ç2 or Fisher exact test. Factors associated with vaccination delay will be analyzed by logistic regression analysis. (AU)