Publication

The effect of vaccination on children’s physical and cognitive development in the Philippines

Authored by:

Bloom, D.E., Canning, D., and Seiguerm E.

Full Citation

Bloom, D.E., Canning, D., and Seiguerm E. 2011. The effect of vaccination on children’s physical and cognitive development in the Philippines. Harvard School of Public Health. Working paper.

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Averting illness through immunization has the potential to increase productivity.

Key Evidence: In a study of immunization in the Philippines, children vaccinated against 6 diseases performed significantly better on verbal reasoning, math, and language tests than those who were unvaccinated. (note: Researchers did not find an association with physical growth.)

Evidence suggests that vaccinated children may have better cognitive function than unvaccinated children.

Key Evidence: A small study from the Philippines, published in a Working Paper from Harvard University, found that children immunized with 6 basic vaccines scored better on three cognitive tests (verbal, mathematics and language) at age 11 compared to children who received none of these 6 vaccines.