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ABSTRACT
Tetanus is a non-communicable infectious disease that is prevented through vaccination. It is caused by the spores of clostridium tetani bacteria, which are common in the environment and can enter the body through wounds from an infected object. Nigeria is one of the countries where maternal and neonatal tetanus is still prevalent and as such a public health issue. This study was conducted to assess the awareness of tetanus toxoid vaccination and it's uptake amongst pregnant women in Ugbekun community, Benin City, Edo state. The objectives this research work aims to assess the awareness of tetanus toxoid vaccination, assess uptake of tetanus toxoid vaccination, identify factors influencing the uptake. A descriptive cross sectional design was used. A sample size of two hundred and fifty four pregnant women (254) was used for the study from a population size of 1098 pregnant women who attended antenatal clinic between the months of October, 2022 to January, 2023. A total of 20 well-structured questions were administered, through a close ended questionnaire. Two hundred and fifty four questionnaires was retrieved for analysis, the analytical method used was frequency, percentage, and Chi-Square analysis for the testing of the hypothesis. The study showed that majority (77.2%) of the mothers have good awareness about tetanus toxoid immunization in the antenatal clinic, and most (44.5%) took the second dose of the vaccine and subsequently there was diminished compliance and participation. In conclusion, the study recorded a gap between the level of awareness and the uptake of tetanus toxoid vaccination. The study therefore recommends the need for appropriate health education to raise public awareness of the vaccine, particularly with regards to the recommended number of doses. Also follow up system should be put in place to ensure the completion of the immunization schedule.
