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Routine childhood vaccinations could prevent hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations and more than 1 million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A New reportA report published Thursday by the CDC analyzed the benefits of routine childhood immunizations in the United States, which began in 1994, and found that vaccinations have saved the nation billions of dollars.
Fangjun Zhou, lead author of the study and a scientist at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said it “shows the significant impact of vaccines on people's lives and the remarkable results of investment in vaccines and immunization services.” Email.
“The benefits of childhood vaccinations have been known for a long time. One new contribution of this study is that these benefits generally persist even when new vaccines are added to the childhood schedule,” Zhou added. “Keeping up to date with recommended childhood vaccinations is one of the best ways to prevent disease, reduce the burden on the health care system and, in many cases, reduce health care costs.”
The researchers, from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, examined the health benefits and economic impact of routine vaccinations for children in the United States born between 1994 and last year.
Nine vaccines were included in the analysis: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or DTaP; Haemophilus influenzae type b or Hib; poliovirus; Measles, Fungus and Measles; Hepatitis B; Varicella; Hepatitis A; pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus. Some other common vaccines, including the flu, Covid-19 and RSV vaccines, were not included in the analysis.
The researchers estimated how many children were vaccinated using data from national immunization surveys and school immunization surveys. Disease cases and deaths were estimated using data from the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.
In the year Among the 117 million children born between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood vaccinations could prevent about 508 million lifetimes, 32 million hospitalizations, and about 1.13 million deaths, the researchers found.
Cumulative illnesses prevented in the study ranged from 5,000 cases of tetanus to 100 million cases of measles and varicella.
The highest estimated total number of hospitalizations and deaths was an estimated 13.2 million measles hospitalizations and 752,800 diphtheria deaths, the researchers wrote.
It estimated that between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood vaccinations would save $540 billion in direct costs, such as medical costs to treat the infection, and $2.7 trillion in societal costs, such as parents losing their jobs. Caring for a sick child.
Dr. Sarah Siddiqui, a pediatrician at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital in New York, New York, said in an email that the new report is a “success” for vaccines.
“These vaccines are currently recommended in the childhood immunization series and are also available at discounted prices as part of the Immunization for Children program. “I am excited and grateful to see this study documenting the health benefits of vaccination as a way to prevent disease,” wrote Siddiqui, who was not involved in the new report.
“My job as a pediatrician is to keep children healthy and out of the hospital. “Vaccines are a way to keep children healthy and prevent the severity of disease,” she added. “I encourage all parents to regularly discuss and discuss with their child's pediatrician about each vaccine and the specific disease it helps prevent.”
of CDC's immunization program for children It was established after the country experienced a measles epidemic between 1989 and 1991. That outbreak resulted in tens of thousands of infections and hundreds of deaths. The CDC investigated the situation and found that more than half of the children with measles at the time were unvaccinated.
The Children's Immunizations Program was started in 1994 to provide vaccinations at no cost to eligible people 18 and younger. Last year, more than half – 54% – of children were eligible to receive vaccinations through the program, the new report found.
“VFC can play an important role in maintaining high childhood vaccination coverage by reducing barriers to entry, especially in geographic areas and among populations with historically low vaccination coverage, such as children living in rural areas,” the researchers wrote.
“In areas where access to vaccination programs is considered insufficient, they may consider expanding their provider network by using non-traditional vaccine providers such as pharmacies,” the researchers said. “Additionally, provider reminders, provider review and feedback, and client reminder-reminder systems remain important methods to reduce the chance of missed vaccinations.”
The decline in routine childhood immunization coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in vaccine hesitancy due in part to reduced access to primary care services and widespread misinformation.
There have been significant declines in routine childhood vaccinations both globally and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data Those released in July by the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund show that the world has not yet recovered.
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The organizations said at the time that this slowdown reflected ongoing challenges, including disruptions in healthcare services, logistical challenges, vaccine hesitancy and inequities in access to services.
Their information revealed that The growth of the past It has stopped reaching pre-pandemic vaccination levels. For example, international coverage Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) vaccine In 2023 it was 84%, the same as in 2022 but below the 86% recorded in 2019.
The outbreak marks a “historic setback,” Dr. Catherine O'Brien, director of the Department of Vaccines, Immunizations and Biologics, said at the time. The race is on to reach children who missed vaccinations during the outbreak and to renew and strengthen immunization services before the outbreak.