Global Vaccine Comparison

The United States recommends a total of 48 doses of childhood immunizations before age 6 on the routine childhood immunization schedule. They are as follows:

Birth (12 hours)
Hepatitis B

2 Months
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Pertussis
Polio
HiB
PCV (Pneumococcal)
Rotavirus
Hepatitis B

4 Months
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Pertussis
Polio
HiB
PCV (Pneumococcal)
Rotavirus

6 Months
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Pertussis
Polio
PCV (Pneumococcal)
Rotavirus
Hepatitis B
Influenza

7 Months
Influenza

12-15 Months
HiB
PCV (Pneumococcal)
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella
Hepatitis A

18 Months
Diptheria
Tetanus
Pertussis
Hepatitis A
Influenza

3 Years
Influenza

4-6 Years
Diptheria
Tetanus
Pertussis
Polio
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella
Influenza (2)


An additional copy of the routine childhood immunization schedule for verification may be obtained at: http://www.909shot.com/NVIC_poster2(hi-res).pdf

From birth through FIVE however there are typically 36 doses given in the United States. It is easier to compare birth through five because this is the age category the World Health Organization has created. Examing the WHO's information for the top 30 countries for mortality (which may be found by country at: www.who.int/vaccines/globalsummary/immunization/ScheduleResult.cfm) we can see some of the differences in global vaccine strategy and another interesting factor: mortality rate. See also http://fourteenstudies.org/nowwhat.html.

The order goes: Country... # of Mandatory Vaccines
(<5 yrs old).... Mortality Rates per 1,000 Children Under 5 yrs old... Mortality Rate Worldwide Rank

United States 36 7.8 34
Iceland 11...3.9...1
Sweden 11...4.0...2
Singapore 13...4.1... 3
Japan 11... 4.2... 4
Norway 13... 4.4... 5
Finland 12... 4.7... 6
Hong Kong 13... 4.7... 7
Czech Republic 20... 4.8... 8
South Korea (recommended dose info unavailable) 4.8... 9
Switzerland 16...5.1...10
France 17...5.2...11
Spain 20...5.3...12
Belgium 18...5.3...13
Germany 22..5.4...14
Austria 19...5.4...15
Australia 27...5.6...16
Israel 11...5.7...17
Denmark 12...5.8...18
Netherlands 20...5.9...19
Canada 28...5.9...20
United Kingdom 20...6.0...21
Italy 13...6.1...22
Ireland 24...6.2...23
Channel Islands (recommended dose info unavailable) 6.2... 24
Slovenia 14...6.4...25
New Zealand 21...6.4...26
Cuba (recommended dose info unavailable) 6.5...27
Luxembourg 23...6.6...28
Portugal 19...6.6...29
Brunei (recommended dose info unavailable) 6.7...30
Cyprus 23...6.9...31
Malta 14...7.6...32
Croatia 18...7.7...33

Average number of doses of countries with available figure= 18.0!

So here we wind up with some very intriguing information: 30 countries in the world with the best childhood mortality rates, recommend about 20 doses less vaccines from birth through 5 than the United States does, which is 34th in the world for childhood mortality in this age group (pretty terrible considering we're the wealthiest nation on earth isn't it?). Shouldn't all of those extra doses of vaccinations that we're giving our kids make them LESS likely to die? I mean for crying out loud, even Croatia and CUBA are beating us!

Naturally there are a large variety of factors influencing childhood mortality, such as access to health care, environmental pollution, hygiene and sanitation, availability of an uncontaminated water supply and so forth. While the United States certainly has issues with health care access to the middle class, vaccinations are free at any state health department in the country. We have in fact one of the highest childhood vaccination rates on earth with a 97-98% rate of immunization (darn those 3% that aren't vaccinating their kids!) which exceeds herd immunity standards. Furthermore most of the countries on this list do not mandate and enforce vaccinations the way some US states do and the vaccination rate for their countries is typically lower.

So why isn't the rest of the world complying with OUR vaccination schedule? Why are they not giving children 36 vaccines from birth through five, 48 from birth through six, and 69 from birth through eighteen? And how come more of their chilren are not sick and dying as a result? These are viable questions and we should be asking them.