By Amber Roman
Aug 11, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT
A new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals the monumental impact that routine childhood vaccinations have had on the nation’s public health. According to the report, these immunizations have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations, and more than one million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023. This analysis highlights not only the health benefits, but also the substantial economic savings that have been achieved thanks to the Vaccines for Children Program, implemented by the CDC in 1994.
The report, which analyzes routine immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program, highlights how vaccines have been a key tool in preventing disease and reducing the burden on the health care system. Fangjun Zhou, a scientist at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and lead author of the study, emphasizes that the benefits of vaccines have been consistent over time, even as new vaccines have been added to the childhood schedule. Zhou stressed that staying up to date with recommended vaccines is one of the best ways to prevent disease, reduce pressure on the health care system, and in many cases, lower associated costs.
The study focused on nine specific vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP); Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); poliovirus; measles, mumps, and rubella; hepatitis B; chickenpox; hepatitis A; pneumococcal conjugate; and rotavirus. Although some common vaccines such as those for influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus were not included in this analysis, the results showed a significant impact. Using data from national immunization and disease surveillance surveys, the researchers calculated that routine vaccinations prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1.13 million deaths among the 117 million children born during that period.
The report also highlights economic savings, estimating that childhood vaccinations have generated a net savings of $540 billion in direct costs, such as medical care to treat infections, and $2.7 trillion in societal costs, such as lost income for parents who must care for sick children.
Dr. Sara Siddiqui, a pediatrician at NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, called the report a “testament to the success” of vaccines in preventing disease. Siddiqui, who was not involved in the study, stressed the importance of vaccines in keeping children healthy and out of the hospital, and urged parents to maintain an ongoing dialogue with their pediatricians about their children’s vaccinations.
The Vaccines for Children Program was created in response to a measles epidemic from 1989 to 1991 that affected tens of thousands of people and resulted in hundreds of deaths. CDC found that more than half of children who contracted measles had not been vaccinated, prompting the program’s creation in 1994. The program provides vaccines at no cost to children under age 18 who meet certain requirements, and last year more than half of the nation’s children (about 54%) qualified to receive these vaccines.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in childhood vaccination coverage was observed due to difficulties in accessing primary care services and the spread of misinformation about vaccines. Globally, there was also a decline in childhood vaccinations, which according to WHO represents a challenge to recover pre-pandemic immunization levels. Efforts are currently focused on reaching children who were left unvaccinated during the pandemic and strengthening immunization services.
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