Immunization coverage among refugee children in Berlin

Abstract

Background The Tempelhof refugee camp offers in-camp immunizations. Other camps, like Neukolln, rely on a centralized immunization system. We aimed to determine the impact of conflict on immunization rates of Syrian children and to measure the efficacy of in-camp immunization services. Methods Families with children aged 1-5 in Tempelhof and Neukolln camps were surveyed. Surveys included siblings under the age of 18. Differences were compared using χ2 test. Results Data on 179 children at Tempelhof and 40 children at Neukolln were collected. At Tempelhof, amongst Syrian children, 27.8% under the age of 5 were "fully immunized-memory, " in contrast to 73.7% over the age of 5 (P = 0.005). This difference in immunization rates by memory between the age groups was not observed in Afghani children (P = 0.34) or in Iraqi children (P = 0.10). Furthermore, compared to the 27.8% of Syrian children, 75% of Afghani children under the age of 5 were "fully vaccinated-memory" (P = 0.0009). Compared to Tempelhof, more children at Neukolln were partially immunized (93%) or had no immunizations (5%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion These data suggest that conflict adversely affected immunization rates of Syrian children, and that offering in-camp immunization services may be a solution to increasing immunization rates.