NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Contrary to earlier studies, children in rural India have higher vaccinationrates than those in cities and Hindu kids are more likely to get their shots than Muslims, researchers from a leading American university have said.

Said to be first of its kind of study, the report released by University of Michigan compares vaccination rates across religious groups in India.

It's also significant because the findings that rural kids are better vaccinated are contrary to earlier studies.

The research by U-M's School of Public Health found that urban children between the ages of 1-3 years have an 80 per cent chance of not being vaccinated when compared to children in rural areas, the university said in a release.

"Urban areas have pockets of slums where health care services are not reaching," said lead author Nijika Shrivastwa, who recently finished her doctorate in epidemiology at the University of Michigan.

People in rural areas, she added, often have access to health care in government hospitals that deliver free vaccinations.