The answer to whether other countries vaccinate babies is unequivocally yes; infant immunization is a nearly universal public health practice across the globe. This practice is strongly supported and coordinated by international bodies, most notably the World Health Organization (WHO), which provides global guidelines and support for national immunization programs. Every country maintains a national immunization program, often referred to as the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), which aims to deliver life-saving vaccines to all children. Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions in history, preventing millions of deaths annually from infectious diseases.
Universal Core Vaccines
Infant vaccination schedules worldwide rest on a set of core vaccines targeting diseases with high morbidity and mortality risk in young children. These include protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), commonly administered as the DTaP or DTP vaccine. Global coverage for the three-dose DTP series is high, reaching about 85% of infants worldwide.
The Poliovirus vaccine is another universal component, primarily aimed at preventing irreversible paralysis. The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is also a core immunization, though the timing of the first dose can vary slightly. Hepatitis B vaccination is strongly recommended globally, with the WHO advising the first dose be given as soon as possible after birth, ideally within 24 hours, to prevent perinatal transmission.
Variations in Administration Timing
While the core diseases targeted are similar globally, the precise timing and inclusion of certain vaccines differ significantly between countries. This variation reflects local disease prevalence and public health priorities. The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine against Tuberculosis (TB) provides a clear example of this divergence.
In countries with a high incidence of TB, the WHO recommends universal BCG vaccination at birth, making it a routine practice. Conversely, countries with very low TB rates, such as the United States and some European nations, often omit the BCG vaccine from the routine infant schedule or offer it selectively to high-risk groups. The timing of the first dose of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine can also range from 11 months to 15 months, depending on the national schedule. For multi-dose vaccines, the interval between doses may be adjusted to optimize the immune response based on the local risk of disease exposure.
Mandatory vs. Recommended Frameworks
A significant difference in global vaccination policy lies in whether a country enforces a mandatory or a recommended framework for infant immunization. Many countries, particularly in the Americas and parts of Europe, have mandatory vaccination policies that require children to be immunized against certain diseases, often as a prerequisite for school entry. For instance, countries like France and Italy have recently moved to stricter mandatory systems in response to declining vaccination rates and disease resurgence.
Other nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and many others in Europe, rely on strongly recommended, but voluntary, vaccination schedules. These systems depend on public trust, education, and accessibility rather than legal enforcement. Even in countries with mandatory systems, the term “mandatory” can have different interpretations, sometimes only requiring vaccination for specific public services. The policy choice reflects a balance between individual autonomy and the collective goal of achieving herd immunity, which protects the entire community, including those who cannot be vaccinated.
Factors Influencing National Schedules
The differences observed in national immunization schedules are driven by a complex interplay of public health, economic, and epidemiological factors.
Local Disease Burden
The single most important factor is the Local Disease Burden, where a high prevalence of a specific disease necessitates its inclusion in the routine schedule. For example, the inclusion of vaccines against Rotavirus or Yellow Fever is common in regions where those infections pose a substantial threat to infants, but they may be omitted where the disease is absent.
Economic Capacity and Infrastructure
Economic Capacity and Infrastructure also play a substantial role in shaping a national schedule. The ability of a country to purchase, store, and reliably deliver newer, often more expensive vaccines, like those for pneumococcal disease or rotavirus, directly determines their inclusion. Organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, work to address this disparity by providing financial support to low- and middle-income countries to expand access to a wider range of vaccines.
Public Health Strategy
Ultimately, all decisions are filtered through a nation’s Public Health Strategy, which weighs the cost-effectiveness of a vaccine against the potential impact on achieving high herd immunity thresholds for the entire population.