An association between poverty and COVID-19 fully vaccine coverage in 117 countries: an ecological study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran

2 Ph.D Student in Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Health Education and Health Promotion Department, School of Health, Medical Education Research Center, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated populations and posed unprecedented
challenges to healthcare systems and medical infrastructures. Vaccination is the most
powerful and successful strategy to effectively control and eliminate the infectious disease
pandemic and resume social and economic daily activities. This ecological study aimed to
investigate the correlation between poverty (daily income less than $ 5.5) and vaccination
coverage for COVID-19 in 117 countries worldwide.
Methods: statistical analyses were conducted to address the aims of this ecological study, as
mentioned above, to examine the association between cumulative fully vaccinated population
and poverty in 117 countries. Poverty and vaccine coverage were study variables. Data were
collected from the Poverty Rate by Country 2021 and our World in Data Database 2021.
Results: The three countries with the highest rate for the cumulative fully vaccinated
population were Portugal (88.98%), Chile (85.32%), and Spain (80.82%), and the three
countries with the lowest rate were Burundi (0.02%), Chad (0.48%), and Haiti (0.61%). There
was a significant, robust negative correlation between cumulative fully vaccinated population
shares and poverty rate (r=-0.86, P<0.001). The correlation was confirmed for upper-middle-income
and lower-middle-income countries. The correlation was not confirmed for high-income
and low-income countries.
Conclusion: The findings indicate a negative link between poverty and vaccine coverage.
Vaccinating at least 60% of the population is essential to curb disease in low-income nations.
Global cooperation for fair vaccine distribution is vital for controlling the pandemic.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Health Management & Information Science
Volume 12, Issue 1
January 2025
Pages 1-9

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