Objective  To examine the utilization and efficiency of smartphone application (APP) in vaccination service management and compare disparities in accessibility, convenience and attendees′ satisfaction between APP-supported and routine vaccination service.

  Methods  We conducted a questionnaire survey among 1 434 guardians of children aged 6 years and below selected with simple random sampling at 43 vaccination clinics in Luohu district of Shenzhen city, Guangdong province during March to May 2018. The guardians with APP-supported vaccination service were assigned into an observation group and those with routine service into a control group for a comparison analysis.

  Results  Compared to those in the control group (n = 471, 32.8% of all the guardians) , the guardians in the observation group (n = 963, 67.2%) reported better accessibility and being more convenient for the vaccination services they received and a significantly higher rate of satisfaction to vaccination services (u = – 3.088, P = 0.002). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the guardians with children born in Shenzhen city (P = 0.004), being maternal caregiver (P < 0.001), at elder age (P < 0.001), with higher education (P = 0.022), having higher household annual income (P = 0.025), and with children at younger ages (P < 0.001) are more likely to utilize APP-supported vaccination service. While, children′s gender, whether the children having planned immunization in Shenzhen city all the time, guardians′ time residing in Shenzhen city and guardian′s occupation had no significant impact on the utilization of APP-supported vaccination service.

  Conclusion  APP-supported vaccination management could provide more accessible, convenient and satisfactory vaccination services and the guardians of living in urban regions, female gender, at elder age, with higher education, having high income, and taking care of small children are more likely to utilize APP-supported vaccination services.