In The News: CDC: Kids’ Routine Vaccinations Prevented Half a Billion Illnesses Since 1994

Medpage Today reports on CDC data from the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program since its inception in 1994 through 2023. The impressive data shared covered illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths, and even cost savings (net, direct and societal). The August 8 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was released as Health and Economic Benefits of Routine Childhood Immunizations in the Era of the Vaccines for Children Program – United States, 1994-2023.

The report found vaccinations prevented approximately 508 million lifetime cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, 1,129,000 deaths, which translated to net cost savings of $540 million direct cost and $2.7 trillion in societal cost. To put it another way, the CDC said for every $1 spent on routine childhood vaccinations saved about $11.

Vaccinations included in the CDC analysis included the diphtheria/tetanus/acellular pertussis vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccine, polio, measles/mumps/rubella vaccine, hepatitis A and B vaccines, varicella, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and rotavirus vaccine. Not included were vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19, nor was the maternal RSV vaccine or the monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab. Cost and effect were the reasons for flu and COVID exclusion while recency was named as the reason for RSV.

Study authors note routine vaccinations slipped during the course of the pandemic. Additionally, cases of measles and polio have seen drastic recent increases. Still, the VFC program is credited with preventing a range of illnesses ranging from 5,000 for tetanus to about 100 million for measles and varicella; with 13.2 million measles hospitalizations prevented; and nearly 753,000 diphtheria deaths prevented.

The analysis looked at all routine childhood vaccinations including the diphtheria/tetanus/acellular pertussis (TDAP) vaccine; the Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine; poliovirus vaccines; the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; hepatitis A and B vaccines; the varicella vaccine; the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; and the rotavirus vaccine.

Established in 1994 following a measles resurgence from 1989-1992, the VFC program has successfully contributed to reducing the cost burden to purchase childhood vaccines. More than half of U.S. children in 2023 were eligible to receive VFC vaccines.

PIDS member Kris Bryant commented on the story, “A recent CDC analysis of the value of routine childhood vaccinations confirmed what pediatricians already know: vaccines are powerful tools for keeping kids healthy and reducing suffering and death from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Now we need to translate these powerful data into a message that resonates with parents and bolsters immunization rates.”