Vaccination in Islamic countries: a narrative review

Vaccination is a key public health intervention, and Muslims who comprise a quarter of the world's population, have shown mixed responses to it. Previous research has addressed Islamic perspectives on vaccination but understanding its efficacy from secular and religious points of view across Islamic countries is limited. This narrative review utilised database search (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, SSRN, and Web of Science) followed by curation based on expert knowledge. It offers theological and technological insights, and the potential impacts of climate change on vaccination in Islamic countries. Though Islamic teachings support vaccination, hesitancy results from a complex mixture of sociological and technological barriers that include misinformation, lack of trust, poor living conditions, and vaccine inequity in resource-limited communities. Climate change will act as a threat multiplier, particularly in areas inhabited by over 80 percent of the world's Muslims. Successful approaches from Islamic countries highlight the role of cultural and religious perspectives, infrastructure, and biological factors on the coverage and efficacy of childhood, adolescent and adult vaccines. The learnings offer strategies to improve vaccination everywhere, but particularly in Muslim populations.