Despite being an established and successful preventative health strategy, kid vaccination programs continue to face economic challenges. Sustainable funding of vaccination programs is a significant problem that poses a difficulty for middle-income countries (MIC), in part because technical improvements have resulted in more vaccines becoming accessible. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in vaccination program investment among 15 MICs chosen based on data availability, income level categorization, and regional representativeness. Researchers looked at investment patterns in terms of vaccination coverage, vaccine access, and wider health indices. Statistics on immunization and spending were gathered from the World Health Organization (WHO) database, as well as the WHO UNICEF Joint Reporting Form and the WHO Vaccine Product, Price, and Procurement. They created a weighted average index of vaccination commitment (WAIVC) based on vaccine coverage, vaccine scope, and vaccine innovation as assessed by vaccine spending approximation. Correlation studies at the global and individual country levels show that nations with persistent increases in vaccination funding enhance immunization access, vaccination commitment as assessed by WAIVC, and the range of accessible vaccines. Increases in national vaccination spending were associated with lower infant mortality and higher life expectancy.
The current analysis supports the notion that countries with consistent increases in vaccine expenditure have increased vaccine coverage and commitment, as measured by WAIVC, and improved broader health outcomes, demonstrating the importance of sustained investment in vaccination for improved population health. The advantages of vaccine spending in this comprehensive manner are essential for informing policy decisions on national budget allocation for vaccine financing.
Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2019.1589287′
