A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that childhood vaccines have prevented over 1 million deaths, 32 million hospitalizations, and 508 million cases of illness among Americans born since 1994.
“These are vaccinations that are currently recommended in the childhood vaccination series and also are provided at reduced cost as part of the Vaccines For Children Program. I am very pleased and grateful to see this study being performed to report the health benefits of vaccinations as a way to prevent disease,” Dr. Sara Siddiqui, a pediatrician at NYU Langone, told the CNN.
Researchers from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases analyzed data from nine vaccines, including DTaP, Hib, poliovirus, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, hepatitis A, pneumococcal conjugate, and rotavirus.
The study excluded flu, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations.
It also revealed that measles and varicella vaccines had the greatest impact, preventing an estimated 100 million cases of illness each.
The CDC's Vaccines for Children program has played a crucial role in maintaining high childhood vaccination coverage, particularly in areas with historically lower vaccination rates, as per Fangjun Zhou, lead researcher.
However, the pandemic has led to a decline in routine childhood vaccination coverage.
According to data released in July by WHO and the UNICEF, the global vaccination landscape has yet to recover.
