According to a new report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), routine childhood vaccinations have had a significant impact on public health in the United States. The report, which analyzed the benefits of routine childhood immunizations through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program, reveals that these vaccinations have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, millions of hospitalizations, and over a million deaths among individuals born between 1994 and 2023.

The study examined the health benefits and economic impact of routine immunizations in children born between 1994 and last year. It focused on nine vaccines, including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, poliovirus, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, hepatitis A, pneumococcal conjugate, and rotavirus. The researchers estimated the number of children vaccinated based on data from national surveys, and disease cases and deaths were estimated using the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

The findings of the study are impressive, showing that routine childhood vaccinations have prevented around 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and approximately 1.13 million deaths among the 117 million children born between 1994 and 2023. The cumulative number of illnesses prevented varied, with measles and varicella accounting for about 100 million cases, while tetanus prevented around 5,000 cases. The study also highlighted the significant impact that vaccinations had on hospitalizations, with measles preventing approximately 13.2 million hospitalizations and diphtheria preventing about 752,800 deaths.

Apart from the substantial health benefits, routine childhood vaccinations also resulted in significant cost savings for the United States. The study estimated a net savings of $540 billion in direct costs, such as medical care expenses, and $2.7 trillion in societal costs, including parents missing work to care for an ill child.

Dr. Fangjun Zhou, the lead author of the study, expressed the importance of staying up to date with recommended childhood vaccines, stating that it is one of the best ways to prevent diseases, reduce the burden on the healthcare system, and lower healthcare costs.

Although the study focused on vaccines available before 2023 and did not include vaccines for flu, Covid-19, and RSV, its findings emphasize the long-established benefits of childhood vaccinations and their continued impact despite the addition of newer vaccines to the schedule.

Dr. Sara Siddiqui, a pediatrician at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, praised the study's findings, stating that vaccinations play a crucial role in preventing diseases and keeping children healthy. She encouraged parents to have open discussions with their pediatricians about the vaccines their children are due for and the diseases they help prevent.

The CDC's Vaccines for Children Program, established after a measles epidemic in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has been instrumental in maintaining high vaccination coverage for children. With vaccines provided at no cost to eligible individuals aged 18 and younger, the program has played an essential role in reducing barriers to access, particularly in underserved areas and populations with historically lower vaccination rates.

The study's findings serve as a testament to the success of vaccination programs in preventing diseases and their associated health and economic burdens. As the world continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is crucial to recognize the importance of childhood vaccinations and work towards restoring and strengthening immunization services to pre-pandemic levels.