Impact of socio-economic and political factors on global COVID-19 vaccine coverage: an empirical study

PURPOSE: This study seeks to explore the COVID-19 vaccine coverage across various countries by delving into its connections to seven vital indicators, these include the Human Development Index (HDI), Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, health expenditure, Internet usage, political stability, absence of violence and their correlation with the vaccine coverage. MEASURES: This study utilized a wealth of information from three valuable and publicly accessible data sources, such as Our World in Data, the World Bank, and the WHO database as of 20 March 2023. We then employed correlation analysis, linear regression, and structural equation modeling to examine the intricate relationships between various indicators and vaccine coverage, illuminating patterns at both national and continental levels. RESULTS: Our comprehensive research unveiled that on an average countries around the world achieved a 54.5 ± 24.61% of COVID-19 vaccine coverage rate. Six of the seven indicators emerged to have positive correlation with the COVID-19 vaccine coverage, and they are the HDI, individuals using the internet, current health expenditure, political stability and absence of violence/terrorism, total cases per million people, and the total deaths per million people. Among these, HDI stood out as the strongest correlated indicator, and conversely, the percentage of rural population emerged as a negatively correlated indicator in relation to the vaccine coverage. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illuminate the formidable challenges associated with the quest for achieving universal vaccine coverage. In the future to address various pandemics globally, these insights emphasize the critical need for developing targeted strategies, fostering international collaboration and implementing comprehensive approaches to ensure that vaccines are fairly and equitably distributed and ultimately foster global immunity.