Peer-reviewed article
Spatial behavior of hepatitis A, MMR, and varicella vaccination coverage in the state of Minas Gerais, 2020
Gabriela Cunha Corrêa Freitas de Oliveira, Luíz Henrique Arroyo, Aline Mendes Vimieiro, Josianne Dias Gusmão, Valéria Conceição de Oliveira et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined vaccination coverage for hepatitis A, MMR, and varicella among children across 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais state, Brazil in 2020. The researchers found that all three vaccines had low coverage rates (75.7% to 89.0%) and identified geographic clusters where vaccination rates were highest in central and southern regions and lowest in northern and northeastern areas. Socioeconomic factors including human development index, urbanization rate, and gross domestic product were linked to differences in vaccination coverage across municipalities. The study highlights the need for better monitoring of vaccination records and targeted efforts in underperforming regions.
Key points
- Hepatitis A and varicella vaccination coverage reached 89.0% while MMR coverage was 75.7% across Minas Gerais in 2020
- Significant geographic clusters were identified, with highest vaccination coverage in Central, Midwest, South Central, and Northwest regions
- Lowest vaccination coverage was found in North, Northeast, and Triângulo do Sul regions
- Municipal human development index, urbanization rate, and gross domestic product were spatially associated with vaccination coverage differences
- Vaccination records require improved quality and continuous monitoring
Limitations
This is an ecological study of administrative records from 2020 only, so it cannot determine individual-level reasons for non-vaccination or track changes over time. The study describes spatial patterns and associations but does not establish causation between socioeconomic factors and vaccination coverage.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial behavior of hepatitis A, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), and varicella vaccination coverage in children and its relationship with socioeconomic determinants in the state of Minas Gerais. METHODS: This ecological study investigated records of doses administered to children, extracted from the Immunization Information System of 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais, in 2020. We analyzed the vaccination coverage and socioeconomic factors. Spatial scan statistics were used to identify spatial clusters and measure the relative risk based on the vaccination coverage indicator and the Bivariate Moran Index, and thus detect socioeconomic factors correlated with the spatial distribution of vaccination. We used the cartographic base of the state and its municipalities and the ArcGIS and SPSS software programs. RESULTS: Hepatitis A (89.0%), MMR (75.7%), and varicella (89.0%) showed low vaccination coverage. All vaccines analyzed had significant clusters. The clusters most likely to vaccinate their population were mainly located in the Central, Midwest, South Central, and Northwest regions, while the least likely were in the North, Northeast, and Triângulo do Sul regions. The municipal human development index, urbanization rate, and gross domestic product were spatially dependent on vaccination coverage. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial behavior of hepatitis A, MMR, and varicella vaccination coverage is heterogeneous and associated with socioeconomic factors. We emphasize that vaccination records require attention and should be continuously monitored to improve the quality of information used in services and research.