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Study finds vaccination prevents millions of deaths and saves billions

Vaccination efforts made in the world's poorest countries since 2001 will have prevented 20m deaths and saved $350bn in health-care costs by 2020, according to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, the researchers put the broader economic and social value of saving these lives and preventing disabilities at $820bn.

Researchers led by Dr Sachiko Ozawa, an associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, studied the economic impact of Gavi (global vaccine alliance) launched in 2000 to provide vaccines to children in the world's poorest countries. Gavi support has contributed to the immunisation of 580m children, and it has operated primarily in the 73 countries covered by the team's analysis.

"Vaccination is generally regarded to be one of the most cost-effective interventions in public health," Ozawa said. "Decision-makers need to appreciate the full potential economic benefits that are likely to result from the introduction and sustained use of any vaccine or vaccination programme."

Researchers looked at both short- and long-term costs that could be saved preventing illness. The costs – expressed in 2010 US dollars – include averted treatment, transportation costs, productivity losses of caregivers and productivity losses due to disability and death. They used the value-of-a-life-year method to estimate the broader economic and social value of living longer, in better health, as a result of immunisation.

"Our examination of the broader economic and social value of vaccines illustrates the substantial gains associated with vaccination," she said. "Unlike previous estimates that only examine the averted costs of treatment, our estimates of the broader economic and social value of vaccines reflect the intrinsic value that people place on living longer and healthier lives."

Each of the Gavi-supported countries in the study will have avoided an average of $5m in treatment costs per year just as a result of these 10 vaccines. The vaccines will have prevented an estimated 20m deaths, 500m cases of illness, 9m cases of long-term disability and 960m years of disability by 2020. The value of preserved productivity, quality of life and other broad economic and social benefits for all 73 study countries is estimated to reach $820bn by 2020, the researchers calculated.

The team used health-impact models to estimate the numbers of cases of illness, deaths and disability-adjusted life-years averted by achieving forecasted coverages for vaccination against hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, measles, rotavirus, rubella, yellow fever and three strains of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis.

The researchers found that vaccinating against hepatitis B, measles, and haemophilus influenzae type b and streptococcus pneumoniae – two bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis – provided the greatest economic benefits.

Abstract
Objective: To estimate the economic impact likely to be achieved by efforts to vaccinate against 10 vaccine-preventable diseases between 2001 and 2020 in 73 low- and middle-income countries largely supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Methods: We used health impact models to estimate the economic impact of achieving forecasted coverages for vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, measles, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A, rotavirus, rubella, Streptococcus pneumoniae and yellow fever. In comparison with no vaccination, we modelled the costs – expressed in 2010 United States dollars (US$) – of averted treatment, transportation costs, productivity losses of caregivers and productivity losses due to disability and death. We used the value-of-a-life-year method to estimate the broader economic and social value of living longer, in better health, as a result of immunization.
Findings: We estimated that, in the 73 countries, vaccinations given between 2001 and 2020 will avert over 20 million deaths and save US$ 350 billion in cost of illness. The deaths and disability prevented by vaccinations given during the two decades will result in estimated lifelong productivity gains totalling US$ 330 billion and US$ 9 billion, respectively. Over the lifetimes of the vaccinated cohorts, the same vaccinations will save an estimated US$ 5 billion in treatment costs. The broader economic and social value of these vaccinations is estimated at US$ 820 billion.
Conclusion: By preventing significant costs and potentially increasing economic productivity among some of the world’s poorest countries, the impact of immunization goes well beyond health.

Authors
Sachiko Ozawa, Samantha Clark, Allison Portnoy, Simrun Grewal, Meghan L Stack, Anushua Sinha, Andrew Mirelman, Heather Franklin, Ingrid K Friberg, Yvonne Tam, Neff Walker, Andrew Clark, Matthew Ferrari, Chutima Suraratdecha, Steven Sweet, Sue J Goldie, Tini Garske, Michelle Li, Peter M Hansen, Hope L Johnson, Damian Walker

[link url="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170901101035.htm"]University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill material[/link]
[link url="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/95/9/16-178475.pdf"]Bulletin of the World Health Organisation abstract[/link]

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