Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.9
3.4
Journals
Vaccines
Special Issues
Closing Immunization Gaps: Coverage, Vaccine Uptake, and Evidence-Based Strategies in...
share announcement

Closing Immunization Gaps: Coverage, Vaccine Uptake, and Evidence-Based Strategies in Global Public Health

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 942

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Álvaro Francisco Lopes De Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campus de Três Lagoas, Brazil
Interests: global health and infectious disease epidemiology; sexual health and HIV/STI prevention; vulnerable and key populations; migration, inequities and access; digital health/mHealth and data-driven tools for prevention and care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on practical strategies to improve vaccination rates and reduce inequities in immunization. We invite submissions that examine the reasons for persistent coverage gaps, particularly among zero-dose and under-immunized groups, and how factors such as vaccine acceptance, access barriers, health system constraints, and misinformation

interact across contexts. We encourage studies that evaluate targeted strategies and policies to increase vaccination rates among populations disproportionately affected by health and social vulnerabilities.

As for study type, we welcome original research and invite reviews and meta-analyses. The aim of this Special Issue is to support public health professionals, policymakers, and healthcare providers by consolidating rigorous evidence and scalable, equity-oriented solutions to strengthen immunization programs and accelerate progress toward higher and more equitable coverage.

Dr. Álvaro Francisco Lopes De Sousa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immunization coverage
  • vaccination uptake
  • vaccine hesitancy
  • immunization equity
  • implementation research
  • program evaluation
  • risk communication
  • public health policy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 681 KB  
Article
Vaccination Attitudes in the Adult Population of Kazakhstan: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study
by Yerlan Ismoldayev, Anel Ibrayeva, Asset Izdenov, Sergey Lee, Altynay Sadykova, Bolat Sadykov, Shynar Tanabayeva and Ildar Fakhradiyev
Vaccines 2026, 14(4), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14040353 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 512
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant public health challenge worldwide, yet nationally representative data from Central Asia are scarce. Evidence on the multidimensional structure of vaccination attitudes and their social patterning in Kazakhstan is limited. The study aimed to assess the distribution of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant public health challenge worldwide, yet nationally representative data from Central Asia are scarce. Evidence on the multidimensional structure of vaccination attitudes and their social patterning in Kazakhstan is limited. The study aimed to assess the distribution of anti-vaccination attitudes among adults in Kazakhstan and to examine their associations with socio-demographic, behavioural, clinical, and territorial characteristics. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of adults aged 18–69 years across all 17 regions of Kazakhstan between May and October 2025 (n = 6712). A multistage, stratified cluster sampling design was applied, and analyses incorporated sampling weights and design-based corrections. Vaccination attitudes were measured using the 12-item Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale, comprising four subscales: mistrust of vaccine benefit, worries about unforeseen future effects, concerns about commercial profiteering, and preference for natural immunity. Internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. Design-adjusted linear regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with each subscale and the overall VAX score. Results: The weighted mean overall VAX score was 3.70 (95% CI 3.67–3.73) on a 1–6 scale. The highest scores were observed for worries about unforeseen future effects (4.12; 95% CI 4.10–4.14), followed by preference for natural immunity (3.93; 95% CI 3.87–3.98), concerns about commercial profiteering (3.49; 95% CI 3.45–3.52), and mistrust of vaccine benefit (3.27; 95% CI 3.23–3.31). Internal consistency was high for the overall scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.861), and the four-factor structure demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.965; TLI = 0.952; RMSEA = 0.071). In multivariable design-adjusted models, age showed a generally consistent gradient, with lower scores in younger groups and the clearest differences observed among the youngest respondents. Married/cohabiting respondents had lower adjusted scores than single respondents across all subscales and for the overall VAX score. Men had lower adjusted worries scores than women, but sex was not independently associated with the overall VAX score. Diabetes was associated with higher adjusted mistrust, concerns about commercial profiteering, and overall VAX score, but not with worries or preference for natural immunity. Territorial differences were domain-specific: urban residence was associated with lower mistrust and higher worries, while macro-region was significant at the factor level only for worries. Conclusions: Anti-vaccination attitudes in Kazakhstan exhibit a multidimensional structure and clear socio-demographic patterning. Concerns about long-term safety were the most prominent attitudinal domain, whereas mistrust of vaccine benefit was comparatively less pronounced. Territorial differences were domain-specific rather than uniform, supporting the need for targeted communication strategies tailored to specific attitudinal domains and population subgroups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Closing Immunization Gaps: Coverage, Vaccine Uptake, and Evidence-Based Strategies in Global Public Health)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop