ACTA SCIENTIFIC PAEDIATRICS Volume 2 Issue 8 August 2019 Immunization Status in the Pattern and Risk of Acute Respiratory Infection among Infants in Rivers State, Nigeria AS Ibama 1 *, INS Dozie 1 , OC Abanobi 1 , AN Amadi 1 , G Iwuoha 1 , CR Nwufo 1 , SN Ibe 1 , OG Udujih 1 , T Jaja 2 and P Dennis 3 1 Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria 2 University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria 3 Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Port Harcourt, Nigeria *Corresponding Author: AS Ibama, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. Research Article Received: June 24, 2019; Published: July 30, 2019 Studies indicated that, Effective host defense of the respiratory tract against pathogens is based on interaction of different an- tibodies, complement, neutrophils or other phagocytic cells. Studies had also associated higher incidences of respiratory infection among children to none immunization. The aim was to ascertain if there exists any pattern of relationship between risk of acute respiratory infection (ARI) among infants and immunization status per age. The study design was community-based Nested case- control study undertaken on randomly selected 1,100 infants in 12 communities from 6 Local Government Areas of the 3 senatorial districts of Rivers State. The subjects were selected via multistage random sampling technique up to the community level. The char- acteristics of the subjects were represented using descriptive method while logistic regression at 5% level of significance, applied in testing the disparities in ARI between none immunization and complete immunization status among infants. Measures of size effect of ARI on immunization status disparities was interpreted using odds ratio (OR). More cases of ARI were found among infants with none immunization status (15.4%) in rural communities than in urban communities (11.2%). In all, infants with none immunization status, had higher frequency of 32.3% in occurrence of ARI, against 19.4% for complete immunization status. For the infants with none immunization status, the odds for ARI (unadjusted) were about 2times higher in significance when compared with those infants with complete immunization status (OR = 1.97, p<0.0001, 95%CI=1.495-2.604), while the odds for ARI (adjusted), found to be a sig- nificant risk, lower on the immunized children by 50% (OR = 0.5, p < 0.0001, 95%CI = 0.368 – 0.689) against the unimmunized ones. This evidence of pattern of relationship between risk of ARI among infants and immunization status per age is quite outstanding to herness the benefits of timely vaccinations to achieving the prevention and control of ARI. Routine immunization activities should be strengthened through aggressive and consistent outreach/home-based services as a deliberate effort in reducing risk of ARI among infants. Abstract Introduction Immunization as a concept is a method and practice concern- ing the activation and or maintenance of the body immune system over time. Immunity is the key entity in disease prevention which Keywords: Immunization Status Per Age; Acute Respiratory Infection; Pattern; Rural; Urban; Community; Vaccines; Case-Control immunization as a health care delivery strategy and practice is de- signed to achieve. The researchers, having perceived the poor attitude of mothers/ caregivers towards vaccination/immunization of their children, DOI: 10.31080/ASPE.2019.02.0117 Citation: AS Ibama., et al. “Immunization Status in the Pattern and Risk of Acute Respiratory Infection among Infants in Rivers State, Nigeria”. Acta Scientific Paediatrics 2.8 (2019): 70-79.