KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PENTAVALENT VACCINE AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN VIENTIANE CAPITAL, LAO PDR: A MIXED METHOD APPROACH

Abstract

Background: The three-dose pentavalent vaccine is one of the most significant and cost-effective measure to prevent childhood mortality and morbidity due to infectious diseases. One of the main reasons for parents to accept immun-izations for their children is the recommendations given by health care providers. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and practice of providing pentavalent vaccines and its related factors among health care workers (HCWs). Method: This was a cross-sectional analytical study, using the mixed method approach that combines qual-itative and quantitative methods. The study was conducted in nine district hospitals and 33 health centres in Vientiane Capital. In total, 184 health care workers were involved in the study and in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 HCWs. The quantitative data was entered using Epi Data and analysed using Stata 14.1. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to determine the factors associated with the knowledge and the practice of pentavalent vac-cines. A thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. Results: From among 184 respondents, the results showed that more than half (63.3%) had poor knowledge of the pentavalent vaccine while about two thirds (65.7%) reported good practices for delivering the pentavalent vaccine. In the multiple logistic regression, significant factors associated with the knowledge of the pentavalent vaccine were the qualification of HCWs (AOR=2.6, 95% CI=1.1– 6.3, p=0.030), receiving training on vaccines (AOR=3.4, 95% CI=1.7 – 6.8, p<0.001), and incentives related to working for vaccination programmes (AOR=2.7, 95% CI=1.2 – 6.1, p=0.020).The practice of immunization. Conclusion: The data from this research indicated that more than half of the HCWs had poor knowledge about the pentavalent vaccine, despite vaccination practice being relatively good. There was a correlation between improved knowledge, with those HCWs who had higher education, and received training and incentives. These findings demonstrate there is a need for more efficient training and the continuous education of HCWs in the field of immun-ization.