Vaccine avoidance by adults accounted for a vast majority of the economic burden of disease in 2015, according to a new study published in Health Affairs.
To calculate the annual economic burden of diseases that are preventable through vaccines, researchers looked at data from various nationwide databases on healthcare costs associated with 14 different pathogens that can be immunized against with 10 available vaccines recommended for adults by the CDC. According to the researchers' estimates, the economic burden created by these diseases in 2015 was $8.95 billion. Unvaccinated individuals accounted for 80 percent ($7.1 billion) of that burden.
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"Low rates of vaccine uptake lead to costs to individuals and society in terms of deaths and disabilities, which are avoidable, and they create economic losses from doctor visits, hospitalizations and lost income," wrote the study's authors. "These results not only indicate the potential economic benefit of increasing adult immunization uptake but also highlight the value of vaccines. Policies should focus on minimizing the negative externalities or spillover effects from the choice not to be vaccinated, while preserving patient autonomy."
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