Quantifying vaccine dissemination for uptake comparisons between vaccines.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy poses a public health challenge, complicating the monitoring of individual vaccine uptake speed.
• Quantifying and comparing vaccine uptake across different vaccines is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if vaccine uptake can be quantified and mapped to specific vaccines.
• To develop methods for comparing vaccine uptake rates between different vaccines.
• To analyze vaccine diffusion curves to understand uptake dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Selected vaccines approved between 2006-2024 impacting the public globally and protecting against viruses.
• Utilized sales data and imputation to estimate global units dispensed and US population coverage.
• Mapped diffusion curves for individual vaccines using metrics like global units per month and population coverage.

Main Results:

• Diffusion curves were successfully mapped for individual vaccines.
• Five vaccines demonstrated the fastest relative uptake: Arexvy, Comirnaty, Gardasil/Gardasil 9, Heplisav-B, and ID Biomedical H1N1 Monovalent Vaccine.
• While differences in uptake speed were observed, not all were statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Estimated vaccine diffusion curves provide valuable insights into vaccine hesitancy.
• Mapping and analyzing uptake dynamics can inform strategies to improve and accelerate vaccination.
• This methodology offers a framework for monitoring vaccine adoption in public health initiatives.