The Knowledge Hub

Immunization can improve children’s learning achievements, including reading, writing, and math skills

In a cohort study of 4,877 children using data from the India Human Development Survey, full vaccination was estimated to increase basic reading, writing and math achievements by 6-12% in children 8-11 years old. These results support the hypothesis that vaccination has lasting effects on children’s learning achievements.

Arsenault C, Harper S, Nandi A. 2020. Effect of vaccination on children’s learning achievements: Findings from the India Human Development Survey. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 74(10).

Immunization coverage can vary dramatically across regions, with some areas having better access than others

An equity impact analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey dataset identified significant disparities in full immunization coverage across different regions of Ethiopia among children aged up to 36 months. Children in the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa regions of Ethiopia were 7 times more likely to have full vaccination coverage compared to children living in the Afar region, a rural region with large numbers of pastoralist nomadic communities.

Geweniger A, Abbas KM. 2020. Childhood vaccination coverage and equity impact in Ethiopia by socioeconomic, geographic, maternal, and child characteristics. Vaccine. 38(20).

Children in female-headed households were less likely to be fully vaccinated compared to male-headed households

An equity impact analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey dataset for full vaccination coverage among children aged up to 36 months found that children living in female-headed households were 49% less likely to have full vaccination coverage compared to children living in male-headed households.

Geweniger A, Abbas KM. 2020. Childhood vaccination coverage and equity impact in Ethiopia by socioeconomic, geographic, maternal, and child characteristics. Vaccine. 38(20).

Children born in a health facility are more likely to receive full vaccinations compared to those born at home

A study in Ghana using nationally representative survey data found that children born in an institutional setting had a substantially higher proportion of full vaccination (73.9%) compared to those born at home (60.8%). Children born in a health facility—either public or private—had 1.71 times the odds of receiving a full vaccination schedule compared to children born at home.

Moran EB, Wagner AL, Asiedu-Bekoe F et al.. 2020. Socioeconomic characteristics associated with the introduction of new vaccines and full childhood vaccination in Ghana. Vaccine. 38(14).

Immunization in India’s Universal Immunization Program improves schooling attainment and economic status for women

In an analysis of the impact of India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) on schooling attainment in adults, a subgroup analysis found a strong positive association between UIP implementation and increased school attainment for women. Women born after the UIP rollout attained 0.29 more schooling grades compared women from the same household born before UIP rollout. Among unmarried women, the UIP was associated with an increment of 1.2 schooling years, which corresponds to as much as an INR 35 (US $0.60) increase in daily wages. Thus, the researchers concluded that the UIP is also likely to improve the economic status of women in India.

Nandi A, Kumar S, Shet A et al.. 2020. Childhood vaccinations and adult schooling attainment: Long-term evidence from India’s Universal Immunization Programme. Social Science & Medicine. 250.

Universal immunization programs in India are associated with increased schooling and higher wages for women

An analysis of the impact of India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) on schooling attainment in adults found that women born after the UIP rollout attained 0.29 more schooling grades compared women from the same household born before UIP rollout. Among unmarried women, the UIP was associated with an increment of 1.2 schooling years, which corresponds to as much as an INR 35 (US $0.60) increase in daily wages.

Nandi A, Kumar S, Shet A et al.. 2020. Childhood vaccinations and adult schooling attainment: Long-term evidence from India’s Universal Immunization Programme. Social Science & Medicine. 250.

Immunization in childhood can improve adult schooling attainment

Adults who were born after the implementation of India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) attained 0.18–0.29 additional grades of schooling compared to adults born before the UIP was implemented in their district of residence. According to the researchers, these findings indicate that childhood immunization could improve adult schooling attainment in India by as much as 10%.

Nandi A, Kumar S, Shet A et al.. 2020. Childhood vaccinations and adult schooling attainment: Long-term evidence from India’s Universal Immunization Programme. Social Science & Medicine. 250.

Attending antenatal care visits increases the likelihood of fully immunized children in Nigeria and other countries

Mothers in Nigeria were between 2-4 times more likely to have fully immunized children if they attended 1-3 antenatal care (ANC) visits, between 2.5-8 times more likely if they attended 4-7 ANC visits, and between nearly 3-14 times more likely if they attended at least 8 ANC visits compared to those who had no ANC.

Similar findings have been seen in many LMICs, including Senegal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Zimbabwe, and Southwest Ethiopia.

Anichukwu OI, Asamoah BO. 2019. The impact of maternal health care utilisation on routine immunisation coverage of children in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 9(6).

Mothers who received proper care during and after childbirth were more likely to have fully immunized children

Mothers who had skilled birth attendance and post-natal care were approximately 6 times were likely to have fully immunized children.

Anichukwu OI, Asamoah BO. 2019. The impact of maternal health care utilisation on routine immunisation coverage of children in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 9(6).

Children in rural-urban migrant populations in China, India, and Nigeria have lower immunization rates, requiring special efforts to improve vaccination rates and reduce health inequities and disease outbreaks

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, children who are rural-urban migrants in China, India and Nigeria were less likely to be fully-immunized by the age of one year than non-migrant urban residents and the general population. These inequities in vaccination rates — often concealed in national averages — call for special efforts to improve immunization rates in this rapidly growing sub-population to reduce both health inequities and the risk of infectious disease outbreaks in the wider society.

Awoh AB, Plugge E. 2016. Immunisation coverage in rural-urban migrant children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 70(3).