Correlation between COVID-19 vaccination coverage and human development index

Abstract

Abstract Background COVID − 19 vaccination is essential for controlling this pandemic. Many countries have begun COVID − 19 vaccination in December 2020. This study aimed to calculate the correlation between the Human Development Index (HDI) and COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Methods In this ecological study for data collection a data set was prepared, which included COVID-19 vaccination coverage, HDI, and its components (Life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and Gross National Income per capita), and income for 130 countries. Association between COVID-19 vaccination coverage, HDI, and its components estimated using correlation coefficients. Also, the scatter plots of the HDI and vaccination coverage were drawn according to countries income. Results There was a very strong positive correlation between COVID-19 vaccination coverage with HDI (r = 0.86, p < 0.001) and life expectancy at birth (r = 0.84, p < 0.001), and there was also a strong correlation with mean years of schooling (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and Gross National Income (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). When countries were stratified by income level, these correlations were stronger for the lower middle income and upper middle income countries, than for low income and high income countries. Conclusion The HDI and its components was positively correlated with COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Governments should facilitate COVID-19 vaccination strategies especially in low income countries.