💉 937 billion dollars in vaccine costs have saved 154 million lives and 15,000 billion dollars

💉 937 billion dollars in vaccine costs have saved 154 million lives and 15,000 billion dollars

That means every dollar invested has returned 16.06 dollars, and in low-income countries the return is even higher: 23.63 dollars per dollar invested.

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  • Since 1974, the WHO's vaccination program has cost 937 billion dollars, while the vaccines have prevented 154 million deaths worldwide.
  • A new study in The Lancet Global Health shows that the program has saved 15,050 billion dollars in productivity losses that would otherwise have been lost through premature death.
  • That means every dollar invested has returned 16.06 dollars, and in low-income countries the return is even higher: 23.63 dollars per dollar invested.

In 1974, the World Health Organization, WHO, launched its Expanded Programme on Immunization. Now, researchers have for the first time calculated what the program has cost and what it has returned over 50 years.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, covers 194 countries and 14 diseases, including measles, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B.

15,000 billion dollars in avoided productivity losses

The total cost of the program between 1974 and 2024 was 937 billion dollars. This includes vaccine procurement, the cost of administering the shots, and the time families spent getting their children vaccinated.

At the same time, the vaccines have prevented 154 million deaths. 95 percent of these were children under the age of five. When people survive, they can work and contribute to society. The researchers estimate that this has saved 15,050 billion dollars in productivity losses.

That equals a return of 16.06 dollars for every dollar invested.

Measles vaccine at the top

The measles vaccine accounts for the largest share of the gains. It alone has saved 12,843 billion dollars, returning 73.97 dollars per dollar invested.

Vaccines against whooping cough (10.18 dollars), tetanus (5.94 dollars), polio (5.51 dollars), and tuberculosis (5.07 dollars) also returned several dollars per dollar invested.

Profitable in all 194 countries

The program as a whole was cost-saving in all 194 member states. Low-income countries saw the highest returns, with 23.63 dollars back per dollar invested.

The five countries with the largest net benefits were the USA, China, India, Brazil, and Mexico. The main reason was the large number of measles deaths prevented by vaccination.

Vaccination also accounts for 40 percent of the global decline in infant mortality during the period.

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