Objective: To establish the factors that determine the levels of immunisation coverage among children under five years in Mathare Valley.
Design: A cross-sectional study describing the situation at a point in time.
Setting: Mathare Valley slum with a population of 50,000 people in the city of Nairobi.
Subjects: The study population was mothers with children under five years in Mathare Valley and had been resident there for a period not less than five years prior to the study.
Outcome measures: Level of immunisation coverage among children in the study population and the factors that contribute to the low immunisation coverage.
Results: Knowledge on immunisation was high with 90% of the respondents able to define immunisation. The attitude on immunisation was positive (74.4%) and immunisation coverage stood at 62.2%. Age, level of education, attitude and knowledge on immunisation among the residents were significant determinants of immunisation coverage.
Conclusion: Immunisation coverage was lower than the national average in Mathare Valley. Advanced mother's age, low level of education and relative lack of knowledge on immunisation were responsible for the low coverage.