More vaccines can prevent deaths of millions

Technology

More vaccines can prevent deaths of millions

Close

Availability of vaccines can prevent death of millions and save billions of dollars.

09 June,2011 07:28 pm

If vaccines are available more readily in 72 of the worlds poorest countries, 6.4 million lives can be saved along with billions of dollars.If 90 percent of children in poor countries were immunized, more than $151 billion in treatment costs and lost productivity could be saved over 10 years, producing economic benefits of $231 billion. Childhood vaccinations against diseases such as pneumococcal pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, diphtheria, pertussis, or whooping cough, tetanus, measles and rotavirus are routine in wealthier countries, but many poor countries have little or no access to these products. Governments of developing countries constantly face the challenge of determining how much they should spend to prevent premature deaths and suffering in their population. The poorest countries are hard-pressed to pay the costs to reach all of their children with life-saving vaccines.