American Journal of Biomedical and Life Sciences 2021; 9(2): 111-119 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajbls doi: 10.11648/j.ajbls.20210902.12 ISSN: 2330-8818 (Print); ISSN: 2330-880X (Online) Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Mothers Toward Immunization of Their Infants in Shashemene Referral Hospital, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia Yonas Gurmu * , Gada Edea, Eniyewu Molla, Dirriba Tari, Elifitu Lamesa, Elsa Belay Department of Nursing, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia Email address: * Corresponding author To cite this article: Yonas Gurmu, Gada Edea, Eniyewu Molla, Dirriba Tari, Elifitu Lamesa, Elsa Belay. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Mothers Toward Immunization of Their Infants in Shashemene Referral Hospital, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. American Journal of Biomedical and Life Sciences. Vol. 9, No. 2, 2021, pp. 111-119. doi: 10.11648/j.ajbls.20210902.12 Received: February 21, 2021; Accepted: April 16, 2021; Published: April 29, 2021 Abstract: Background: Ethiopian was able to expand the immunization service by introducing new vaccines into the country routine immunization program that increased the number of antigens from 10 to 12. Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) is one of the key programs in World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia under the Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN). Compliance to vaccination may be influenced by understanding of the community towards the service. Objective: To assess the knowledge, Attitude and practice of mothers towards vaccination of their infants in Shashemene referral Hospital west Arsi, Zone Oromia Regional state, South-Ethiopia, 2018. Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted in shashemene Referral Hospital from February to April 10, 2018. Face to face structured Interview questionnaire was used by systematic sampling techniques. Data collection was start from March 01 to 30, 2018 G. C and after reviewing, data was analyzing with SPSS software version 20. Result: A total of 228 mothers were participated on this study, giving the response rate of 98.1%. From the total respondents (52.3%) of mothers have good knowledge and (42.3%) of them had good practices of services utilization of vaccination for their infants. Conclusion: This study showed that 52.3%, 67.7%, 42.3% of study participant had good knowledge, attitude, and practice towards immunization of infants respectively. Educational interventions are required to improve parents’ knowledge, attitude, and practice. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Immunization, Shashemene, Mothers 1. Introduction It is undeniable that vaccines have been an important part in preventive medicine based on their successes in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases in the developed world [1]. World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that annually up to three million children’s lives are saved by vaccinations, but still another three million lives worldwide are lost from vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2009, WHO estimated that if global vaccine coverage increased to 90% by 2015, then approximately two million deaths of children under the age of five would be prevented [2]. Ten years later, in 1984, the WHO established a standardized vaccination schedule for the original EPI vaccines: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), oral polio, and measles [3]. During the inception of Expanded Program on Immunization the objective was to increase immunization coverage by 10% annually and reach 100% in 10 years but this target has not been realized even after two decades. The target group when the program started were children under two years of age until it changed to less than one year in 1986 to be in line with the global immunization target [4]. Ethiopia compressive multiyear plan 2011-2012. The EPI aims at delivering the primary immunization series to at least 90% infant. Maternal and child health are among the Ethiopia government priority health programs and efforts are being implemented to reduce maternal and child mortality [5]. In 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH), in partnership with UNICEF, and other bilateral agencies, has intensified efforts to improve routine immunization at peripheral levels. Despite visible gains that have been recorded in the EPI program, the 2012 national Immunization coverage survey showed a lower