DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i07.024

Pages: 2615-2620

Immunization is one of the most cost effective interventions to prevent the suffering that comes from avoidable sickness, disability and death. However, vaccine preventable diseases continue being a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, owing to weak immunization systems and practices. Even after the inception of the maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination initiative, 18 countries had yet to achieve elimination status at the end of 2016. It, therefore, becomes imperative to study the knowledge among mothers regarding the importance of tetanus toxoid administration during pregnancy, their attitude towards it and the actual practical implementation of these combined. Knowledge, attitude and practices concerning immunization among 275mothers of children aged 6 weeks – 2 years were assessed by administering a semi–structured questionnaire to each of the participants at the immunization centre of SKIMS MC, a tertiary care hospital, from December 2016 till March 2017. A statistically significant association was found to occur between age group and whom the participants thought TT protected. Age group was also found to have a significant association with knowledge pertaining to ideal number of doses of TT to be received during pregnancy and space between two successive pregnancies. Literacy was observed to have a statistically significant association with knowledge regarding ideal number of TT doses to be received. Socioeconomic status as well as occupation of the participants was found to have a statistically significant association with knowledge regarding TT immunization during pregnancy. Even though Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus has been eliminated from India, concerted and sustained efforts to prevent resurgence are of utmost importance. Educating the primary care providers of children in this regard will prove to be one of the most efficient steps in this direction while also enabling women to protect themselves from this disease. The importance of IEC