Assessment of knowledge and experiences of adverse events following immunization among mothers of under-five children in a tertiary hospital of Arunachal Pradesh

Background: Since mothers are usually the primary decision-makers and caregivers for young children, their knowledge regarding immunization and AEFIs influence healthcare-seeking behaviour and completion of immunization schedules. In Arunachal Pradesh, the complete immunization rate is low and zero dose rate is high in under-five children. Hence, we aimed at assessing the knowledge and practices among mothers of under-five children about AEFIs. Methods: Data was collected by interviewing the mothers of under-five children using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data was conducted and presented in frequencies and percentages. Results: A total of 380 mothers were enrolled. Most of the mothers did not know what causes an AEFI but maximum of them were aware of atleast one form of AEFI. More than half of the mothers did not know that AEFI has to be reported. Mothers who were guided about AEFI by healthcare workers had the highest mean knowledge. There was no significant association between the socio-demographic characteristics with mother’s knowledge about AEFI. Fever followed by pain/swelling was the commonest form of AEFI experienced. Vaccines given at 6, 10 and 14 weeks caused the maximum AEFI. Most of the mothers managed the AEFIs at home. Conclusions: Understanding the knowledge and practices regarding AEFI among mothers helps to understand their health behaviour, especially preventive interventions like childhood vaccinations. This may help in training of healthcare workers and utilization of mass media for dissemination of AEFI information and clarification of misconceptions for better acceptance of vaccines among mothers.