Interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate vaccination coverage among nomadic pastoralists in northeastern Kenya for polio eradication

摘要

Background: As polio eradication draws near, immunization and surveillance of remote and itinerant populations who are potential virus reservoirs become increasingly important. In 2013 and 2014, wild poliovirus imported from an endemic country in West Africa caused outbreaks in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Some cases were found among nomadic pastoralists, traditionally characterized as having limited access to health care including vaccination. We aimed to measure vaccination coverage and characterize its geospatial and socio-economic determinants among both settled and nomadic pastoralists in northeastern Kenya.