IMMUNIZATION STATUS AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW-ZEALAND INFANTS IN THE 1ST 6 MONTHS OF LIFE

In the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society's 1990-91 cohort study, of 39 02 children, 985 (25.2%) had fallen behind the immunization schedule b y 6 months of age. These children were more likely to be from lower so cio-economic groups or to have mothers who were older, with high or lo w education, or of higher parity. The infants were also more likely to be from non-European families, or to have unemployed fathers. Eight h undred and ten (82.2%) of the incompletely immunized children at that age could be brought up-to-date with their immunizations by a single v isit to the doctor. The most common reason for delaying immunization w as that the baby was sick. This was a false contraindication in 69.2, 79.0 and 78.4% of these children at the 6 week, 3 month and 5 month im munization, respectively.