Abstract

To assess the childhood immunization level of uran and rural areas, 250 mothers of 6-23 months old children residing in Namsan 1 Dong, Taegu, and 264 mothers of the same age children residing in five areas of Kyungsan Gun where community health practitioners are assigned were interviewed in March, 1984. Immunization rate for BCG was 98.0% in urban area and 95.8% in rural area. Among children who had BCG vaccination 91.4% of them were immunized within 1 month after birth in urban area and 88.1% in rural area. The percentage of children who received three doses of DPT vaccine was 83.2% in urban, and 87.5% in rural area and that for the polio vaccine was 80.8% in urban and 87.9% in rural area. Only a few children have never been immunized with either BCG or DPT or polio vaccine. Overall immunization rate for measles was 64.4% in urban area while it was 55.3% in rural area and that for mumps and rubella was 50.4% in urban area as compared with 36.0% in rural area. However, among children of 15 months old and above the percentage of measles vaccination was 85.3% in urban area and 73.7% in rural area. Mumps and rubella vaccination rate was 77.6% in urban area and 62.4% in rural area. These differences in measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates between urban and rural areas were statistically significant (p<0.05). Such findings as improved immunization level, no significant differences in BCG, DPT and polio vaccination rate between urban and rural areas, and fewer mothers in rural area have not vaccinated their children than mothers in urban area because of their ignorance may be attributed to the general improvement of living standard and implementation of the maternal and child health services of the government. Nevertheless many of the mothers in rural as well as urban area have not immunized their children on time and measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates are substantially lower than other childhood immunizations. Future immunization activity should be geared to reinforcing these areas.