Billions of dollars could be saved by making vaccines more available
Making vaccines more widely available in 72 of the world’s poorest countries could save millions of children’s lives, and billions of dollars, Reuters reports. In a series of studies published in the journal Health Affairs and The Lancet, public health experts and scientists say that if 90 per cent of children in those countries were immunized, more than $151 billion in treatment costs and lost productivity could be saved over a decade. This would create economic benefits of $231 billion, and save 6.4 million lives. The World Health Organization notes since the eradication of smallpox in 1979, at a one-time cost of $100 million, has saved the world about $1.35 billion.