Rapid deployment of vaccines during disease outbreaks has saved millions of lives and generated billions in economic benefits, a groundbreaking new study has revealed. Conducted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with Australia’s Burnet Institute, the study analyzed 210 outbreaks across 49 low-income countries over a 23-year period and was published in the BMJ Global Health journal.
The findings highlight the life-saving impact of emergency vaccination campaigns. On average, illnesses and deaths were reduced by nearly 60% during outbreaks of deadly diseases such as cholera, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, and Ebola. In the most dramatic examples, yellow fever deaths dropped by an astounding 99%, and Ebola fatalities fell by 76% following vaccine rollouts.
“This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks,” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi. “For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines during health emergencies.”
The research also found that emergency vaccination efforts generated nearly $32 billion in economic benefits by preventing premature deaths and years of life lost to disability. The authors noted that this is likely a conservative estimate, as it does not account for wider social and economic disruptions caused by major disease outbreaks.
For instance, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which occurred before a vaccine was available, cost the region an estimated $53 billion. In contrast, later outbreaks saw death rates significantly reduced thanks to rapid vaccine deployment.
Gavi plays a central role in global immunization efforts. The alliance helps vaccinate nearly half the world’s children and manages emergency vaccine stockpiles in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
This latest study reaffirms the critical importance of vaccine preparedness and swift action during health crises, underscoring vaccines’ pivotal role in saving lives and safeguarding global economies.
