title: The effects and costs of expanding the coverage of immunisation services in developing countries: a systematic literature review.
abstract: The range of potential effects and costs of interventions to expand the coverage of immunisation programs in developing countries was reviewed for the first time and demonstrated that increasing coverage is achievable. With the exception of a mass campaign, all interventions were reported to increase the proportion of fully vaccinated children. The findings are of particular value for policy debates about the introduction of new vaccines versus the need to vaccinate as many children as possible with the current ones. The review highlighted the need for: cost analyses to be undertaken alongside evaluations of interventions; and an improvement in the methodological quality of studies.
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Unit, Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pegurri
authors.forename: Julia A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fox-Rushby
authors.forename: Walker
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Damian
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data