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OPTIONAL VACCINE UTILIZATION HAS A MALE GENDER PREFERENCE - A RECORD BASED ANALYSIS FROM A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE OF EASTERN INDIA

Background And Objectives: Optional vaccines find an important place in immunization today. This study attempts to find out the trend of optional vaccine utilization, over the past three years in the immunization clinic of a tertiary care centre and to find out the association of gender disparity with the utilization of these vaccines. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted during October to December 2016 using the register based secondary data of October 2013 to September 2016. Month wise utilization of optional vaccines (Pneumococcal, influenza, typhoid, varicella, hepatitis A and MMR) and measles was captured. Analysis was done using Stata 12.1 SE. Results: An increasing trend of utilization was seen for all vaccines including optional vaccines. The mean doses received by male children was significantly more for all optional vaccines (unlike all vaccines taken together) as well as for individual vaccines like Pneumococcal, influenza, typhoid, MMR, hepatitis A (p<0.05), but not for varicella and measles vaccine (p>0.05). Conclusion: Gender disparity (preference for male children) was present for all optional vaccines except varicella, and not in case of measles vaccine used in universal immunization program selected as control.