Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study

Abstract Background The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish (UO) population has been affected by pertussis, polio, and measles outbreaks. Safed, a deprived, undervaccinated city in Israel’s North, has a large UO population concentrated in specific neighborhoods. We determined whether in Safed UO population concen...

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Main Authors: Avraham Jacobson, Sivan Spitzer, Michael Edelstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:International Journal for Equity in Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02504-4
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author Avraham Jacobson
Sivan Spitzer
Michael Edelstein
author_facet Avraham Jacobson
Sivan Spitzer
Michael Edelstein
author_sort Avraham Jacobson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish (UO) population has been affected by pertussis, polio, and measles outbreaks. Safed, a deprived, undervaccinated city in Israel’s North, has a large UO population concentrated in specific neighborhoods. We determined whether in Safed UO population concentration was associated with DTP- containing and MMRV1 vaccines coverage, timeliness and drop-out rates. Method For each of Safed’s statistical areas, we estimated UO population based on the proportion of votes for UO political parties in Israel’s 2020 general elections. We determined whether this proportion was associated with timely and delayed MMRV1 and DTP vaccine coverage for children born 2017–2022 using simple linear regression. We compared DTP and MMRV1 coverage and drop-out rates in UO areas (> 50% vote for UO parties) to others, using chi-square tests. Results All eligible 4385 children residing in Safed were included in the MMRV1 and DTP analyses. Vaccine coverage was significantly lower in UO areas compared to non-UO for all doses of DTP and MMRV1 at expected age (-11.8, -15.8, -16.6, -11.8 and − 7.1% points (pp) respectively, P < 0.005) - and at 36 months old (-0.5, -3.9, -6.2, -9.3 and − 2% points respectively, P < 0.005). Gaps narrowed more for MMRV1 (from 7.1 to2 pp), than for DTP4 (from 11.8 to9.3 pp). Increasing UO vote was associated with decreased timely coverage for DTP but not MMRV. DTP1-4 drop-out rates were larger in the UO areas than in non-UO areas (26.2% vs. 18%). Conclusions Vaccine coverage was lower in UO neighborhoods, even in a peripheral city where coverage in non-UO areas is already low. Coverage differences between UO and non-UO populations decreased with time for MMRV1 but not DTP. Our findings suggest timeliness should be considered alongside non-vaccination, and vaccination behavior may be vaccine-specific in the UO population.
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spelling doaj-art-6059cbd342c448ce8a182e589c58ea3c2025-08-20T01:51:35ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762025-05-0124111110.1186/s12939-025-02504-4Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological studyAvraham Jacobson0Sivan Spitzer1Michael Edelstein2Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan UniversityAzrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan UniversityAzrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan UniversityAbstract Background The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish (UO) population has been affected by pertussis, polio, and measles outbreaks. Safed, a deprived, undervaccinated city in Israel’s North, has a large UO population concentrated in specific neighborhoods. We determined whether in Safed UO population concentration was associated with DTP- containing and MMRV1 vaccines coverage, timeliness and drop-out rates. Method For each of Safed’s statistical areas, we estimated UO population based on the proportion of votes for UO political parties in Israel’s 2020 general elections. We determined whether this proportion was associated with timely and delayed MMRV1 and DTP vaccine coverage for children born 2017–2022 using simple linear regression. We compared DTP and MMRV1 coverage and drop-out rates in UO areas (> 50% vote for UO parties) to others, using chi-square tests. Results All eligible 4385 children residing in Safed were included in the MMRV1 and DTP analyses. Vaccine coverage was significantly lower in UO areas compared to non-UO for all doses of DTP and MMRV1 at expected age (-11.8, -15.8, -16.6, -11.8 and − 7.1% points (pp) respectively, P < 0.005) - and at 36 months old (-0.5, -3.9, -6.2, -9.3 and − 2% points respectively, P < 0.005). Gaps narrowed more for MMRV1 (from 7.1 to2 pp), than for DTP4 (from 11.8 to9.3 pp). Increasing UO vote was associated with decreased timely coverage for DTP but not MMRV. DTP1-4 drop-out rates were larger in the UO areas than in non-UO areas (26.2% vs. 18%). Conclusions Vaccine coverage was lower in UO neighborhoods, even in a peripheral city where coverage in non-UO areas is already low. Coverage differences between UO and non-UO populations decreased with time for MMRV1 but not DTP. Our findings suggest timeliness should be considered alongside non-vaccination, and vaccination behavior may be vaccine-specific in the UO population.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02504-4EquityJewishIsraelMMRVDTPReligion
spellingShingle Avraham Jacobson
Sivan Spitzer
Michael Edelstein
Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
International Journal for Equity in Health
Equity
Jewish
Israel
MMRV
DTP
Religion
title Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
title_full Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
title_fullStr Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
title_full_unstemmed Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
title_short Differences in timeliness, completeness and drop-out rates of MMRV and DTP containing vaccines among Ultra-Orthodox Jews and others in a deprived Northern Israel city: an ecological study
title_sort differences in timeliness completeness and drop out rates of mmrv and dtp containing vaccines among ultra orthodox jews and others in a deprived northern israel city an ecological study
topic Equity
Jewish
Israel
MMRV
DTP
Religion
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02504-4
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