GSK and the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) have announced a new report from the IQVIA Institute of Human Data Science (IQVIA Institute), which highlights the enablers and barriers of vaccine uptake in five global cities.
The new data reveals the varying uses of vaccines within a single city and ways to advance equitable access to adult immunisation.
Funded by GSK, the report explores the role of social and structural determinants of health in adult vaccine access and uptake in Bangkok, Thailand, Brussels, Belgium, Chicago, Manchester and New York.
In Brussels and Manchester, easier access to pharmacies and other points of vaccination is related to higher vaccine uptake, as is access to transport and reimbursements for vaccines in Brussels.
In Bangkok, adult vaccine use within a district is correlated with the number of vaccination points, including hospitals and clinics, as indicators of economic growth in the district.
Similarly, New York and Chicago’s data demonstrated that household income, education and median house value were highly correlated with vaccination rates across all vaccines studied, as well as ethnicity and race.
A previous GSK-funded analysis of global vaccine trends by the IQVIA Institute revealed that approximately 100 million fewer doses of some adult COVID-19 vaccines were administered in 2021 and 2022, despite the success of vaccination programmes.
By understanding community-level data on access and barriers to vaccinations, policy analysis and locally relevant solutions to improve funding, access and education on adult vaccines can be implemented.
The results were recently presented during the annual Silver Economy Forum in New York. Hosted by GCOA and sponsored in part by GSK, the meeting united government, policymakers, patient groups, academic and industry leaders to discuss data insights and policy options to support ageing populations and the global economy.
Piyali Mukherjee, vice president and head of global medical affairs, vaccines, GSK, said: “Adult immunisation plays a key role in helping to mitigate the illness, death and health system costs that can result from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Michael Hodin, chief executive officer, GCOA, said: “Together, supported by data, we can contribute to existing global initiatives like the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and [the] World Health Organization Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities.”