Immunization Saves Millions of Lives and Billions of Dollars: Study

The U.S. childhood immunization program is more than just saving lives in the U.S. According to a recent study conducted by experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccination program is also saving the U.S. billions of dollars in care costs.

The study, which was recently published in Pediatrics, evaluated the economic benefits of the Routine Childhood Immunizations Program in the United States.

Looking at the 2009 Routine Childhood Immunizations Program, researchers compared  the number of U.S. children vaccinated in that year to historical  infection rates of the illnesses associated with nine vaccines most commonly administered.

Research estimated that routine childhood immunization prevented approximately 42,000 early deaths and 20 million cases of disease. Comparing these numbers to estimated costs in 2009, researchers were able to estimate that the immunizations for that year saved the country over $13.5 billion in direct heath care costs and $68.8 billion in societal aid costs. That means that for every dollar spent on the routine immunization program, $10 was saved, according to the study.

According to the study's authors, the last time a study like this was conducted was in 2001. Then, for every dollar spent on vaccinations, $16 was saved. The numbers are slightly lower for 2009 because vaccination costs overall have gone up in the last decade. The number of infants in 2009 was significantly higher than in 2001 as well, increasing demand and accounting for some of the inflation.

Still, ten to one is nothing to shrug about. The CDC's morbidity and mortality weekly report concluded that in 2013, childhood immunization rates for measles, mumps, rubella, poliovirus, Hepatitis B, and Varicella continue to be near or above their 2020 target of 90 percent.

Researcher behind the study theorize that if every child in the U.S. were vaccinated, lives and savings would be saved by at least another 10 percent. Naturally, they conclude that vaccinating children should be a recommended course of action in the U.S.

The study was published in Pediatrics on March 3.