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Combination Vaccines in Routine Childhood Immunization Programs - Worldwide, 2024
Fan Zheng1,2, Guzainuer Abudurusuli1, Linlin Gong1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen City, Fujian Province, China.
China CDC Weekly
|May 22, 2026
Summary
Combination vaccines streamline childhood immunizations, reducing visits and injections. Global use varies, with low-income nations facing access gaps for advanced formulations like hexavalent vaccines.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Vaccinology
- Global Health
Background:
- Combination vaccines improve health system efficiency and caregiver compliance.
- Routine childhood immunization requires multiple clinic visits and injections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the global landscape of combination vaccines in 2024.
- To identify disparities in access to advanced combination vaccine formulations.
- To propose strategies for integrating combination vaccines into primary healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Review of currently available combination vaccines worldwide.
- Analysis of global usage patterns and coverage gaps.
- Examination of factors contributing to access disparities.
Main Results:
- Eight types of combination vaccines are available globally, categorized by DTP-containing and measles-containing formulations.
- Pentavalent DTP-containing and MMR vaccines are most common, but 15 countries lack measles-containing combination vaccines.
- Significant coverage gaps and service drop-offs exist in low-income countries, linked to economic disparities and access to advanced vaccines like hexavalent formulations.
Conclusions:
- Tailored strategies are needed to integrate combination vaccines with primary healthcare.
- Strengthened primary healthcare delivery and sustainable financing are crucial.
- Improved service continuity and reduced dropout rates are essential for underperforming regions to align with Immunization Agenda 2030.
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