Public funding and young children vaccination coverage: Evidence from Socialist-Oriented Market Economy

This study presents empirical evidence on the impact of public funding on the vaccination rate of children under one-year-old in Vietnam from 2014 to 2019. The research findings indicate that, first, the effect of government funding on the vaccination rate of children is positive after addressing endogeneity, cross-sectional dependence, and heteroscedasticity. Second, this impact is more pronounced in underdeveloped regions, particularly those with low female school enrollment rates and underdeveloped infrastructure. This raises a dilemma for Vietnam in pursuing a comprehensive development strategy, as investment in underdeveloped regions yields significantly lower economic returns. Therefore, this study provides further insight into the effectiveness of public funding in pursuing social objectives while initiating discussions regarding policies to achieve multiple goals as the Socialist-Oriented Market Economy reign.