ArticleJournal of global health2026
Global disparities in regulatory approval of prophylactic vaccines, 2005-2024.
Article in Journal of global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Timely approval of prophylactic vaccines is essential to equitable access, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) disproportionately affected by vaccine-preventable diseases. In this cross-sectional analysis, we characterised the global landscape of regulatory approvals for new prophylactic vaccines over the past two decades. Methods: We retrieved data from Pharmaprojects for new prophylactic vaccines approved globally from 2005-2024. We quantified approval volume and delay - defined as the number of countries, territories, and areas (CTAs) approving each vaccine, and the time (in days) between global first approval and subsequent national approvals. We conducted an exploratory multivariable linear regression analysis to identify factors potentially associated with approval delays. Results: Of the 416 prophylactic vaccines, 67.8% received approval in only one CTA, and just 12.8% reached more than five CTAs between 2005 and 2024. By 2024, the European region had the highest total number of approvals (n = 2410), while Africa had the fewest (n = 56). Median global approval delay for prophylactic vaccines was 213 days (interquartile range (IQR) = 93.0, 768.8), ranging from 161.0 days (IQR = 84.0, 646.0) in Europe to 705.5 days (IQR = 183.3, 2220.3) in the Western Pacific region. Our multivariable models showed that a lower income level may be associated with longer delay. Other factors, such as the type of vaccine and regulatory designation, were also identified as potential correlates. Conclusions: Disparities in vaccine approval volume and timing persist across regions. Targeted policy actions are needed to strengthen regulatory systems in LMICs and reduce structural barriers to equitable vaccine access globally.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.