Magnitude and causes of routine immunization disruptions during COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is a threat to various routine healthcare services. India’s routine immunization (RI) campaign is one of largest ever known. In this review, we discuss the magnitude of disruption of RI activities due to COVID-19 pandemic, various causes of it and recommend ways to reduce the disruptions. Prominent literature databases were searched till April 30, 2021 for articles reporting disruptions of RI due to COVID-19. One study from India and numerous from outside India reported significant declines in the vaccine coverage rates during the lockdown period, which ranged from March 2020 till August 2020 in different regions of the world. Some reported disruptions for all vaccines, while a few reported sparing of birth doses. Shortage of healthcare workers due for them being diverted to patient care services and their reduced movement due to lockdowns and non-availability of public transport were prominent causes. Parents avoided RI sessions as they feared them or their children getting infected. They also faced travel restrictions, just like the healthcare workers. Children of school entry age and those from poorer socio-demographic profile appeared to miss the doses more frequently. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has issued guidelines for conducting fixed and outreach RI sessions while following COVID-appropriate behavior. Promptly identifying missed out children and scheduling catch-up sessions is required to sustain the gains made over the decades by the immunization program of India.