Fact from Fiction: Comparison of Health Status in Immunized and Non-immunized Children

Abstract

Background:  Several studies had been conducted in order to find out the effectiveness of various vaccines against respective diseases but the comparison of health status of immunized and non-immunized chil-dren had not been done in this study group.^1,2

Objectives:  To assess whether immunizing a child helped to improve his health or not and whether there was any difference in the occurrence and severity of diseases in a non vaccinated child as compared to the immunized child.

Study Design:  Descriptive cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of the Study:  Services hospital Lahore, May - June 2010.

Methods:  100 children aged 3 to 5 years were asses-sed for immunization and health status.

Results:  The remarkable findings confirmed the effe-ctiveness of vaccination. 23 out of the 24 children (96%) not vaccinated against measles, had the disease. Vaccination against Hepatitis B showed a 100% pre-vention rate, with no cases reported in children who were vaccinated. No definite pattern could be identi-fied in the status of general health and the existence (or the absence thereof) of a history of vaccination.

Conclusion:  Although the effectiveness of vaccine-tion in precluding preventable diseases has been con-firmed in this study but the general health status of immunized and non-immunized children is indepen-dent of the status of vaccination.

Key words:  Immunization, EPI.