Publication

The equity impact vaccines may have on averting deaths and medical impoverishment in developing countries

Authored by:

Chang, A.Y., Riumallo-Herl, C., Perales, N.A., et al.

Full Citation:

Chang, A.Y., Riumallo-Herl, C., Perales, N.A., et al. 2018. The equity impact vaccines may have on averting deaths and medical impoverishment in developing countries. Health Affairs. 37(2).

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Vaccination helps prevent poverty, especially among poorer populations.

Key Evidence: A study modeling the economic impact of 10 childhood immunizations in 41 low- and middle-income countries found that the bulk of poverty averted through vaccination occurs in poor populations. For most of the vaccines in the study, at least 40% of the poverty averted would occur in the poorest wealth quintile. Particularly for pneumonia, more than half of the two million deaths averted by pneumococcal and Hib vaccines would occur in the poorest 40% of the population.

In addition to causing substantial child mortality, pneumonia also pushes many families into poverty; Vaccination can protect against both.

Key Evidence: Vaccines that can protect against pneumonia – Hib and S. pneumoniae vaccines – can together prevent over 1.25 million cases of poverty over 15 years, found researchers modeling the economic impact of immunization in 41 low- and middle-income countries.

Vaccines can help people avoid economic impoverishment resulting from medical costs.

Key Evidence: In a study modeling the economic impact of immunization in 41 low- and middle-income countries, the authors estimate that 24 million cases of medical impoverishment would be averted through the use of vaccines administered from 2016-2030. The largest proportion of poverty cases averted would occur in the poorest 40% of these populations, demonstrating that vaccination can provide financial risk protection to the most economically vulnerable.