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.