IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE - AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: The rise of the Coronavirus and associated control measures promoted substantial changes in the health sector and in the fulfillment of vaccination schedules. In view of this, with the current decline of the pandemic and the return of the circulation of the great masses, the World Health Organization warns of the trend of increasing cases of diseases preventable by vaccination. Objective: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood immunization coverage worldwide. Method: This is an integrative review, with a search for the terms "Child", "Coverage, Vaccination", "Pandemic" and "Communicable Disease" combined with the Boolean operator AND, in the PubMed, BVS and Periodicals CAPES databases. Observational studies, with human beings, published in any language in the period from 2020 to 2022 were included. Duplicates, reviews, letters to the editor, opinion articles, protocols, and studies not related to the theme were excluded. Result: Of the 513 articles found, 24 were selected to compose the study sample, none evaluated with serious risk of bias. The sample of this study was about 3,568,446 children from 21 countries. There was evidence of a decline in vaccination against measles, hepatitis B, MMR, meningococcal and the vaccine against Bacillus Calmette and Guérin (BCG). In addition to a limited increase in vaccination against influenza, yellow fever and pentavalent. Conclusion: The pandemic was a significant factor in the decline in immunization of children around the world, which requires interventional responses capable of restoring adherence in order to prevent preventable diseases and their complications.