Vaccine Gaps: Unplanned Pregnancies and India's DPT Challenge

You might be surprised to learn that kids born from unplanned pregnancies in India are more likely to miss out on their DPT vaccines. Recently, a study looked into this issue using data from the National Family Health Survey 2019-21. The study found that 9. 14% of kids from unplanned pregnancies didn't get any dose of the DPT vaccine, while only 6. 69% of kids from planned pregnancies were left out. When they did some number crunching, they found that kids from unplanned pregnancies were about 21% more likely to miss out on all doses of the DPT vaccine. This is a big deal because the DPT vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus and is a key part of childhood immunization. The study suggests that unplanned pregnancies could be a factor contributing to these vaccine gaps. This is important for places like India where unplanned pregnancies are common. It's something that health workers and policymakers need to think about when they're trying to make sure all kids get their vaccines.