Inequidades en las coberturas de vacunación infantil en Colombia, años 2000 y 2003

Objective Identifying inequity in childhood vaccination coverage in towns
throughout Colombia for both immunisations scheme and type of vaccine.
Methods An ecological study using secondary information for 2000 and
2003. Three indicators were measured: (1) gaps in coverage (understood as
being the differences between municipal coverage and that at national level),
(2) Gini coefficient and (3) Lorenz’s curve.
Results Decreasing national vaccination coverage was found, dropping from
78,8 % in 2000 to 66,8 % in 2003. The number of towns having gaps in their
coverage also increased during the two years being studied. Vaccination
coverage concentration coefficients and curves showed inequalities between
the municipalities during the two years being studied, although Gini coeffi-
cients improved from 0,18 to 0,13 for vaccination coverage between 2000
and 2003. The anti-influenza vaccine had the greatest decrease in inequality
during the years being studied, followed by the anti-hepatitis B vaccine. The
smallest change was recorded for the tuberculosis vaccine (BCG). Poliovirus
vaccine estimations lay between those for BCG and hepatitis B.
Conclusions Action should be focused on municipalities identified as having
recurring low coverage and large gaps compared to the national level.