Abstract

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in Ecuador, analyzing trends before (2019) and during the pandemic (2020-2021). Using data from the Ministry of Public Health and the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, the study compares routine childhood vaccination coverage and COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Results indicate a significant decline in routine vaccination coverage during the pandemic, with reductions observed for vaccines such as BCG, pentavalent, pneumococcal, and rotavirus. Furthermore, the study highlights socioeconomic and geographical disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage, with vulnerable populations facing challenges in accessing vaccination. In conclusion, the pandemic has negatively impacted routine immunization programs in Ecuador; addressing disparities in access is crucial for improving overall vaccination coverage and public health outcomes.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

Funding: This research received no external funding. The Article Processing Charge (APC) was funded by Universidad Indoamerica. Neither the authors nor their institutions received payment or services from any third party for any aspect of the submitted work, including grants, data monitoring board, study design, manuscript preparation, or statistical analysis. The authors declare that no financial relationships existed with entities that could have influenced the submitted work

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

Data Availability

Data Availability Statement: All data used in this study were obtained from publicly available sources including the Boletin de Indicadores de la Estrategia Nacional de Inmunizacion del Ministerio de Salud Publica (MSP) and the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos (INEC) of Ecuador. The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

AbbreviationsMDPIMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteDOAJDirectory of Open Access JournalsTLAThree Letter AcronymLDLinear DichroismLMICsLow- and Middle-Income CountriesMSPMinistry of Public HealthINECNational Institute of Statistics and CensusesBCGBacillus Calmette–Guérin (vaccine)HBHepatitis BflPVInactivated Polio VaccinebOPVBivalent Oral PoliovirusSRPMeasles, Rubella, and MumpsDPTDiphtheria, Pertussis, and TetanusMMRMeasles, Mumps, and Rubella