| 216615 | | | Based on a major 2024 study in
The Lancet, vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives globally since 1974. Of these lives, 101 million were infants under one year old, making vaccination the single largest contributor to improved infant survival over the past 50 years. In addition to lives saved, vaccination has profoundly improved the quality of life for billions of people.
Lives saved
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the immense impact of vaccination programs, such as the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), in preventing deaths from a range of diseases.
- The measles vaccine has had the single largest effect on reducing mortality, accounting for 94 million of the 154 million total lives saved since 1974. Measles is highly contagious and can cause long-term disabilities.
- Vaccines have led to the eradication of smallpox and brought polio to the brink of eradication. The polio vaccine is credited with preventing paralysis in more than 20 million people who are now able to walk.
- According to the CDC, routine childhood vaccination in the U.S. for children born between 1994 and 2023 will prevent over 1.1 million deaths.
- A 2025 study found that COVID-19 vaccines averted an estimated 2.5 million deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024.
Improved quality of life
Vaccines prevent serious and disabling illnesses, leading to a host of other benefits that improve a person's quality of life.
- Reduced disability: Preventing diseases like polio, measles, and rubella avoids long-term consequences such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, and intellectual disabilities. The Lancet study estimated that for every life saved through immunization, an average of 66 years of full health were gained, totaling 10.2 billion full health years over five decades.
- Economic benefits: By averting illnesses, vaccines save billions of dollars in direct medical costs and indirect societal costs like lost wages. For example, a CDC report found that routine childhood immunization in the U.S. will result in $2.7 trillion in societal savings.
- Improved child development: Beyond preventing death, vaccines help children avoid chronic infections that can lead to poor growth, stunting, and developmental delays. This has been linked to better long-term outcomes, including improved cognitive ability and higher school attainment.
- Protection for vulnerable populations: Vaccines create community immunity, which also protects unvaccinated people, including infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
- Psychological and emotional benefits: Avoiding serious illness prevents the emotional toll of disease on patients and their families, including anxiety and stress.
Based on a comprehensive 2024 study, global immunization efforts have saved at least
154 million lives since 1974, with 95% of those lives being children under 5 years old. Beyond preventing death, vaccines have immeasurably improved the quality of life for millions by preventing severe illness, lifelong disability, and long-term health complications.
Impact on human lives and health
Saved lives and years of health
- Prevented deaths: Vaccines have prevented at least 154 million deaths globally over the last 50 years, at a rate of roughly six lives saved every minute.
- Gained health: For every life saved through immunization, an average of 66 years of full health were gained, resulting in a total of 10.2 billion full health years over the five-decade period.
- Reduced child mortality: Global immunization has contributed to a 40% reduction in infant deaths worldwide since 1974.
Eradicated and controlled diseases
Vaccines have been crucial in controlling and preventing many of history's most feared diseases:
- Smallpox: The disease has been completely eradicated.
- Polio: The polio vaccine has prevented more than 20 million cases of paralysis, and the disease is on the verge of being eradicated globally.
- Measles: The measles vaccine has had the single greatest impact on reducing infant mortality, saving nearly 94 million lives since 1974.
Additional health and social benefits
The impact of vaccination extends beyond direct disease prevention to broader societal improvements:
- Protection for the community: Widespread vaccination creates "herd immunity," protecting those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants or people with compromised immune systems.
- Economic benefits: Immunization programs are highly cost-effective, saving billions of dollars in averted medical costs and lost wages.
- Child development: Studies have linked routine childhood vaccination to improved cognition, higher school attainment, and better overall health outcomes later in life.
- Broader health services: Immunization programs often serve as a platform for delivering other life-saving care, such as nutritional support and illness screenings.
Based on a comprehensive 2024 study, global immunization efforts have saved at least
154 million lives since 1974, with 95% of those lives being children under 5 years old. Beyond preventing death, vaccines have immeasurably improved the quality of life for millions by preventing severe illness, lifelong disability, and long-term health complications.
Impact on human lives and health
Saved lives and years of health
- Prevented deaths: Vaccines have prevented at least 154 million deaths globally over the last 50 years, at a rate of roughly six lives saved every minute.
- Gained health: For every life saved through immunization, an average of 66 years of full health were gained, resulting in a total of 10.2 billion full health years over the five-decade period.
- Reduced child mortality: Global immunization has contributed to a 40% reduction in infant deaths worldwide since 1974.
Eradicated and controlled diseases
Vaccines have been crucial in controlling and preventing many of history's most feared diseases:
- Smallpox: The disease has been completely eradicated.
- Polio: The polio vaccine has prevented more than 20 million cases of paralysis, and the disease is on the verge of being eradicated globally.
- Measles: The measles vaccine has had the single greatest impact on reducing infant mortality, saving nearly 94 million lives since 1974.
Additional health and social benefits
The impact of vaccination extends beyond direct disease prevention to broader societal improvements:
- Protection for the community: Widespread vaccination creates "herd immunity," protecting those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants or people with compromised immune systems.
- Economic benefits: Immunization programs are highly cost-effective, saving billions of dollars in averted medical costs and lost wages.
- Child development: Studies have linked routine childhood vaccination to improved cognition, higher school attainment, and better overall health outcomes later in life.
- Broader health services: Immunization programs often serve as a platform for delivering other life-saving care, such as nutritional support and illness screenings.
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