Vaccines under attack
Immunisation with life-saving vaccines is one of the greatest achievements in public health, but a growing wave of misinformation/disinformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undermine the many successes of vaccination.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the use of vaccines prevents 4 to 5 million deaths annually, and with better global vaccination coverage, this number could increase significantly.
The historical successes of vaccination campaigns are best known for the eradication and/or control of (now forgotten) deadly infectious diseases such as smallpox, which claimed millions of lives and was eradicated in 1980 through a concerted global vaccination campaign. Poliomyelitis too has been almost eradicated globally with cases markedly reduced since 1988 due to the efforts of many organisations, including the WHO, Rotary International, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The reduction of deaths from measles through vaccination is also dramatic. Prior to widespread vaccination in 1963, measles was responsible for 2.6 million deaths globally each year, reduced by vaccination to 800 062 in 2000, and in 2022, there were 107 500 deaths — mostly in children under the age of 5 years, despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine.
Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases can have devastating economic consequences and it should be emphasised that vaccines not only save lives but also significantly contribute to economic stability by reducing health care costs, increasing productivity, and minimising the burden on health systems.
For example, it has been estimated that for every US$1 invested in childhood vaccination in low and middle income countries, the return on investment is between US$16 and US$44 when considering broader societal benefits including economic productivity and long term health care savings.
Vaccination saves lives, and beyond the historical successes of smallpox, measles, polio and broader childhood and adult vaccination programs as outlined in the national immunisation program (NIP), vaccinations continue to offer significant protection against severe diseases.
