COVID-19 Vaccines Coverage in Afghanistan: a descriptive analysis of secondary data from DHIS2

Abstract

Background: Mass immunization is an economical and effective way to control the pandemic of COVID-19. Afghanistan started its first COVID-19 vaccination campaign at the national level in February 2021. Upon initiation, 10 target groups have been given priority to get vaccinated. This study focuses on a descriptive analysis of COVID-19 vaccination coverage at the national level.

Methods: This is a descriptive secondary data analysis of COVID-19 vaccination coverage from all 34 provinces of Afghanistan from February 2021 to June 2022. All data analyzed in this study were extracted from the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), National EPI’s database for tracking EPI indicators, and analyzed using Epi Info V.7.2.1.

Results: Since the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination, 33% of the population in Afghanistan has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, among which 26% are fully immunized. The coverage accounts for 13% of the total population in the country. Among the immunized population, 48% are female and 52% are male. At the provincial level, Kabul is the top-performing province with 54% of the target population, followed by Kandahar with 43%. Zabul and Nuristan had the lowest vaccination coverage of the target population, with only 5% vaccinated. Among administered vaccines, Johnson & Johnson are administered widely (67%), followed by Sinopharm (18%) and AstraZeneca (15%).

Conclusion: Vaccine coverage for all categories is lower than expected, with a higher interest in one-dose regimen vaccines. The low coverage shows a low demand for vaccine uptake. Provinces with lower coverage could undertake extended campaigns to maintain and enhance the coverage of vaccination. There is a demand for interventions to improve public awareness about COVID-19 as well. Furthermore, advocacy for full vaccination is required.