Comparative Study in Full Vaccination of Children Aged 12-23 Months in Karnataka: NFHS-4 and NFHS-5

Immunization effectively protects children from severe diseases. It protects individuals and the community by reducing disease spread. Vaccines activate the immune system to combat specific diseases. Objectives: To evaluate the vaccination status of children aged 12-23 months across Karnataka districts and regions. Method: Secondary data published in the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS) and NFHS-5 were analyzed. Result: The NFHS-5 report indicates a 34.3 relative percent improvement in fully vaccinated children compared to previous survey, with no districts showing a decline. Vaccination rates range from 100% in Ramnagar to 71.1% in Bijapur. The highest relative percent change improvement was seen in Chikkamagaluru (120.9%), Shimoga (111.2%), and Mysore (108.1%). Highest vaccination rates are in Ramnagar (100%), Tumkur (97.7%), and Mysore (97.2%), while the lowest are in Bijapur (71.1%), Bellary (71.5%), and Gadag (74.3%). Regionally, Mysore leads with 92.4%, while Gulbarga lags at 78.2%. Conclusion: Coverage of full vaccination compared to the previous survey has improved. Around 58 per cent of the districts are above the state average in the recent survey. Every child receives all doses of vaccination required tracking, which might be weaker in some districts. Mysore region achieved the top, and Gulbarga region achieved less according to the regional-wise. In less covered regions, there may be a higher proportion of families belonging to lower wealth quintiles. Poverty directly affects access to healthcare. Key words: Vaccination, NFHS