DID THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR POLIOMYELITIS VACCINATION ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES

Objectives: To verify whether the national poliomyelitis vaccination c ampaign has achieved its objectives. Setting: Various regions in the K ingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) including Riyadh, Jeddah, Mekkah, Tabbouk and Gizan. Material and methods: Randomized samples were obtained usi ng the Bowleg's proportional allocation scheme. Housing blocks were se lected using simple random sampling procedures. All Saudis and non-Sau dis in the selected blocks were screened using a pre-tested questionna ire administered in a face-to-face interview by trained interviewers. The data combined with those of an earlier pilot survey carried out in Al-Khobar area were analyzed. Results: A total of 646 households were surveyed; Riyadh 160, Jeddah 82, Mekkah 50, Tabbouk 164, Gizan 83 and Al-Khobar 107. The under five population of children was 618. The cov erage of the target population was Riyadh 88%, Jeddah 74%, Mekkah 93%, Tabbouk 97%, Gizan 100% and Al-Khobar 100%. Conclusion: The overall p ercentage coverage in the Kingdom was 92% which attests to the success of the campaign. An area concern is Jeddah where the percentage cover age was 74% and should receive more attention during the next national vaccination campaign as well as mopping up vaccinations.