Childhood vaccination coverage in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Vaccination has become an important strategy for the health protection of the population. The reduction in vaccination coverage is an alert for the return of vaccine-preventable diseases that had already been eradicated.  Objective: To analyze the immunization coverage of children under the age of two in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), between the years 2018 and 2021, with planning construction purposes based on the theoretical-logical model. Methodology: This is an ecological-retrospective study about the vaccination coverage in RN. The data were collected from the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), through Health Information (TABNET). For data collection, the following variables were selected: the year to compose the table row to be generated by the system; the immunobiological to compose the column; and the vaccination coverage as a measure. The analyzed period comprised the years 2018 and 2021. Results: The vaccination reality of the last two years in Brazil and RN follows the international scenario. During the 2020-2021 pandemic, vaccination coverage data in RN were worse when compared to the period between the years 2018 and 2019. Therefore, the theoretical-logical model presented in this study seeks to contribute to the improvement of the planning and actions of the state immunization program. Conclusion: This study has proved to be relevant to direct the strategies of the Public Health Department of the RN, as it contributes to the literature, presents the problem in the vaccination coverage of the RN in recent years, and proposes the theoretical-logical model as a tool to improve this rate.