Reaffirming a Positive Correlation Between Number of Vaccine Doses and Infant Mortality Rates: A Response to Critics

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Biostatistics

Background:

• A 2011 study found a positive correlation between infant vaccine doses and infant mortality rates (IMRs) in highly developed nations.
• Critics questioned these findings, attributing them to data exclusion and advocating for analysis of a larger, more diverse dataset.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate critics' claims regarding data exclusion and methodology.
• To reassess the correlation between infant vaccine doses and IMRs using various analytical approaches.

Main Methods:

• Reanalysis of critics' data from 185 nations.
• Odds ratio, sensitivity, and replication analyses on original and updated datasets.
• Multiple linear regression analysis incorporating Human Development Index (HDI) and vaccination rates.

Main Results:

• Critics' reanalysis of 185 nations showed a weaker positive correlation (r = 0.16, p < .03), confirming the trend despite confounding variables.
• Odds ratio and sensitivity analyses robustly supported the original findings.
• Replication with 2019 data confirmed the positive correlation trend (r = 0.45, p = .002).

Conclusions:

• A positive correlation between infant vaccine doses and IMRs is evident in highly developed nations.
• This correlation is obscured in broader analyses by socioeconomic disparities and confounding factors prevalent in less developed nations.