Social determinants and COVID-19 vaccination: a study based on global data
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, began in China in 2019 and spread throughout the world, destabilising healthcare systems. To control the spread of the virus, countries around the world started implementing COVID-19 vaccination programs in late 2020. However, progress in promoting COVID-19 vaccines worldwide is inconsistent due to differences in national economies and vaccine development technology between countries. This retrospective, descriptive, and comprehensive study examined variables such as the Human Development Index (HDI), the type of vaccine used, the number of cases, and the number of deaths based on data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the period from 3 January 2020 to 2 November 2023. The statistical tests used were the Mood test to compare the means between different groups and the Dunn test to compare multiple HDI levels. Beta regression was used to analyse the relationship between vaccination and morbidity and mortality. Results: Countries with a “very high” HDI have lower mortality rates than countries with a low HDI. The results show a negative correlation between the set of vaccines administered and the number of cases and deaths. The study revealed that countries with higher HDI had lower COVID-19 mortality, as socioeconomic factors may have influenced the effectiveness of COVID-19 containment strategies. The data reinforce the importance of equity in access to health care and highlight the need to strengthen health systems for future crises.
