Intro
Many countries with excellent child health outcomes use different vaccination schedules. This often leads to confusion and claims that one country is “doing it better.”
In reality, schedules reflect local optimization, not ideology.
Key Points
- There is no single global “best” schedule
- Differences reflect disease burden and system reliability
- More vaccines does not equal more immune stress
- Delays increase vulnerability during infancy
What Shapes a National Schedule?
Disease Epidemiology
If a disease is rare or concentrated in specific groups, a country may choose targeted vaccination.
Health-System Reliability
Centralized systems can rely on follow-up. Fragmented systems often cannot.
Equity Considerations
Universal schedules protect children most likely to miss care.
Cost-Effectiveness
Public programs must weigh benefit per dollar spent.
Why Schedules Change Over Time
Schedules evolve when:
- Disease patterns change
- New vaccines become available
- Delivery systems improve
- Better data emerges
Change is expected — but it should be gradual, transparent, and evidence-led.
Common Myths
Myth: Fewer vaccines are safer
Reality: Modern schedules expose children to fewer antigens than decades ago.
Myth: Delaying vaccines is more “natural”
Reality: Delay increases the period of risk for severe disease.
Bottom Line
Different schedules do not mean different commitments to science.
They reflect different systems solving the same problem:
how to protect children as effectively and equitably as possible.