Research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore suggests vaccinations' economic value from preventing illnesses and saving lives far exceed their original cost.
To extrapolate a return on investment for vaccines, the study authors assessed the economic benefits of vaccines in 94 low- and middle-income countries using projected vaccination rates from 2011 to 2020.
The study included data on 10 vaccine-preventable infections: Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, measles, Neisseria meningitis serogroup A, rotavirus, rubella, Streptococcus pneumoniae and yellow fever.
They found the ROI for vaccines was $16 for every dollar spent when limiting the scope to costs directly associated with illness. When looking at the broader economic impact of illness, they found vaccines saved $44 for every dollar spent.
"Vaccines are an excellent investment," said lead author Sachiko Ozawa, PhD. "But to reap the potential economic rewards, governments and donors must continue their investments in expanding access to vaccines."
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