The value of childhood combination vaccines: From beliefs to evidence

Although vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health care interventions, under-vaccination and variation in coverage rates lower than policy targets is rising in developed countries, partly due to concerns about vaccination value and benefits. By merging various antigens into a single product, combination vaccines represent a valuable tool to mitigate the burden associated with the numerous injections needed to protect against vaccine preventable infectious diseases and increase coverage rate, possibly through various behavioral mechanisms which have yet to be fully explored. Beyond their cost-effectiveness in protecting against more diseases with fewer injections, combination vaccines also have several other benefits, for children, their parents/carers, as well as for the health system and the population as a whole. The objectives of this review are to identify and illustrate the value of combination vaccines for childhood immunization.