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The Benefits of Vaccines

Author: Alex Yang

Editors: Sophia Chen, Hwi-On Lee, Faye Lin

Artist: Francesca Huang


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What if one of the most powerful weapons for boosting a nation's economy wasn’t advanced infrastructure or technology, but something that most kids fear? A vaccine is a shot that helps the body build protection against certain diseases, and it has long been known for its health benefits, with its most notable advantage being the ability to strengthen the immune system. However, its financial impacts are often overlooked despite playing a major role in the economic sector of low to high-income countries. This raises a crucial question to be considered: Do the economic benefits of vaccines outweigh the costs in countries with varying income levels? Along with the extraordinary health advantages, immunoprotective treatments against infectious diseases reduce long-term medical expenses and loss of income, which stabilizes workforces by preventing illness. A major component of immunizations is the economic lens, specifically on how immunizations can aid financial growth through their various benefits. Vaccination plays a crucial role in strengthening the economy of low to high-income countries by minimizing medical expenses, loss of income, and promoting productivity in the workforce.

In high-income countries such as the United States and Canada, vaccinations not only improve public health but also strengthen the economy by preventing severe illnesses and reducing healthcare and public service costs. In research conducted by Fangjun Zhou et al. on the benefits of childhood vaccinations, the US report states, “Among approximately 117 million children born during 1994–2023, routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million lifetime cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1,129,000 deaths, at a net savings of $540 billion in direct costs and $2.7 trillion in societal costs,” (Zhou et al.). This data highlights how routine childhood immunization can help prevent disease-related deaths while saving trillions of dollars. Similarly, a study performed by Tuite on the effect of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada revealed, “Vaccination increased the net benefit by CAD $298.1 billion compared to the no vaccination counterfactual. The largest benefits were due to averted premature mortality, resulting in an estimated $222.0 billion benefit,” (Tuite). In Canada, COVID-19 immunizations prevented a significant percentage of mortality rates, resulting in a net benefit of over $200 billion CAD. With a decrease in deaths and morbidity due to COVID-19, the financial burden placed on the government and medical sector to treat the ill will also start to diminish, providing substantial financial gains (“Counting the Impact of Vaccines For a Safer, Healthier World”). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that vaccines act as a powerful economic catalyst for economic growth in high-income nations, maximizing profits and reducing expenses.

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Vaccines can also play an integral role in low to middle-income countries where diseases and illnesses are prevalent and frequently occurring. An investigation conducted by Allison Portnoy et al. on the effect of Tuberculosis vaccines in low to middle-income regions where Tuberculosis is a burden reports, “Vaccination scenarios produced greater cumulative GDP in the modeled countries over the study period, equivalent to $1.6 (95% uncertainty interval: $0.8, 3.0) trillion for the adolescent/adult vaccine and $0.2 ($0.1, 0.4) trillion for the infant vaccine,” (Portnoy et al.). Tuberculosis immunizations raised over one trillion dollars during the study time, supporting the economic benefits of vaccinations. Especially in areas where conditions are not as developed as income areas where diseases are present, Tuberculosis shots can reduce the financial costs that the people and government have to spend, which boosts the economy (World Health Organization). Moreover, a statistical research done by Elizabeth Watts et al. on the economic effects of immunization on 10 pathogens in low to middle-income countries mentions, “From 2011 to 2030, immunization would avert $1510.4 billion ($674.3-$2643.2 billion) (2018 USD) in costs of illness in the 94 modeled countries, compared with the counterfactual of no vaccination. Using the VSL approach, immunization would generate $3436.7 billion ($1615.8-$5657.2 billion) in benefits,” (Watts et al.). In this statistical analysis conducted on 94 different countries, the results showed that the vaccinations of ten pathogens are expected to generate over three thousand billion dollars. With such an astronomical amount of gains, increasing the immunization percentages would only help support the economy in emerging nations. Overall, the articles demonstrate that in low to middle-income areas where the earnings are not as high, vaccines are needed for long-term economic prosperity.

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A strong, healthy workforce is essential for a country’s economy, and vaccines play a major role in the financial sector by maintaining work productivity, which minimizes a loss in revenue. Researcher Michael Baker examined how influenza immunizations affect the number of work absences, finding that “influenza contributes to approximately 17 million workdays lost each flu season in the United States…[and] widespread flu vaccination among adults has been shown to substantially decrease this number, with studies indicating a 40–60 percent reduction in influenza-related absenteeism” (Baker). In the United States, a total of 17 million workdays are lost, harming companies and the nation on a wider scale. With an increase in work loss due to influenza, employee productivity can decrease from 30-50 percent (Baker).  Adding on to Michael Baker’s findings, experts Sibilia Quilici et al. conducted an investigation on the monetary return of the COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. They discovered, “COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are estimated to return significant economic value… [with] returns ranging between $2–4 for every $1 invested due to improved worker productivity,” (Quilici et al.). These findings reveal that there is at least double the profit for every dollar spent, demonstrating how influential vaccines are in contributing to work efficiency. With an increase in employee efficiency, companies can prosper, further proving the advantages of immunoprotective treatments. The information provided by the researchers indicates that immunizations can not only improve the health of citizens, but also reduce the number of workdays lost, increasing staff productivity and promoting economic growth. 

Vaccines are far more than just a health intervention; they also support economic development and stability. Across countries of all income levels, immunizations minimize illness, premature death, and decrease medical costs, while also improving work productivity. By reducing the harmful negatives of viruses and diseases, these shots can generate a significant amount of financial return for developing or prospering countries. Along with the plethora of benefits, immunizations combat the problem of work absenteeism, which is a major issue that acts as an obstacle to financial growth. Vaccines not only improve public health globally, but also strengthen economies by enhancing productivity, reducing illness-related costs, and supporting economic development in nations with varying income levels.

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