Measles Vaccination Timeliness and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 9-24 Months in the Bule Hora District, West Guji Zone, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine timeliness is essential for preventing childhood morbidity and mortality; however, measles vaccination programs are often evaluated based on coverage rather than timeliness. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed measles vaccination timeliness and its associated factors among children aged 9-24 months in Bule Hora District, Oromia, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2024 among 361 mother-child pairs selected using systematic random sampling. RESULTS: Timely vaccination was observed in 54% (95% CI: 49.1%-59.4%) for the first dose and 58% (95% CI: 48.3%-67.3%) for the second dose of measles vaccination. Maternal secondary education, longer travel time to a health facility, and absence of PNC were significantly associated with timely MCV vaccination. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate suboptimal measles vaccination timeliness and highlight the need to strengthen postnatal care and maternal counseling to improve measles vaccination timeliness.