Introduction Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing and controlling infectious diseases, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study analyzed disparities in vaccination coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months in ten Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Methods A cross-sectional study using data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) collected between 2017 and 2022 in ten Sub-Saharan African countries. The primary outcome was full vaccination coverage. Logistic regression models were applied to identify factors associated with the outcome. Results Full vaccination coverage rates varied significantly across countries, with Gambia presenting the highest rate (86.4%) and Guinea the lowest (21.2%). Factors associated with full vaccination coverage included place of residence, maternal education and age, economic status, place of delivery, possession of a health card, and attendance at prenatal care services. Conclusion The study highlighted significant disparities in vaccination coverage among children in Sub-Saharan Africa, influenced by sociodemographic and economic factors. Investing in maternal education, improving economic conditions, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure are essential measures to reduce these inequalities.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or nonprofit sectors.

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study utilized publicly available secondary datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program and Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) conducted between 2017 and 2022. Ethical approval and informed consent for data collection were obtained by the DHS Program from the relevant national institutions and participants prior to the original data collection. For this analysis, no additional ethical approval was required as the data are anonymized and publicly accessible upon registration and request through the DHS Program's platform: https://dhsprogram.com/data/dataset_admin/index.cfm.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

In this study, publicly available datasets (DHS and MIS, between 2017 and 2022) were analyzed. Upon registration and request, these data can be found at the following link: https://dhsprogram.com/data/dataset_admin/index.cfm.

https://dhsprogram.com/data/dataset_admin/index.cfm