Mortalities from vaccine-preventable diseases reach an all-time low

January 2008

Occurrences of most vaccine-preventable diseases are at an all-time low, resulting in decreases in associated hospitalization and deaths, according to data from a recent CDC study. Results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“These achievements are largely due to reaching and maintaining high infant and childhood vaccine coverage levels, although other factors contributed to these decreases,” Sandra Roush, MPH, of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, told Infectious Disease News.

In addition to the positive effects on morbidity and mortality rates, researchers also suggested that the benefits of vaccination extend to societal and economic realms, including improved school and work attendance. Data from previous studies have estimated that vaccination with seven of the 12 routinely recommended childhood vaccines prevents an estimated 33,000 deaths, saves $10 billion in direct costs in each birth cohort and saves society an additional $33 billion in costs that include disability and lost productivity.

The researchers compared morbidity and mortality before and after widespread implementation of national vaccine recommendations for 13 different vaccine-preventable diseases. These include: diphtheria, invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis A, acute hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rubella, Streptococcus pneumoniae, smallpox, tetanus and varicella.

Reduction in cases

An analysis of the number of cases reported before widespread use of the vaccines recommended prior to 1980, compared to the number of cases reported in 2006 showed a greater than 99% reduction in the number of reported cases of diphtheria, measles, paralytic poliomyelitis, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome and smallpox. Results also showed a greater than 90% decline in cases of mumps, tetanus and pertussis during the same period.

Vaccine recommendations issued after the 1980s but before 2005 yielded similar results. The number of cases of hepatitis A declined by 87%, and mortality as a result of the disease fell 86.9%. Occurrences and mortality associated with hepatitis B were reduced by about 80%. Cases and deaths attributed to invasive Haemophilus influenzae decreased more than 99%. Declines in cases of invasive S. pneumoniae were 34%; for deaths, 25%. Vaccination has eliminated endemic transmission of poliovirus, measles and rubella in the United States, and vaccination has eradicated smallpox worldwide.

Although occurrences of most vaccine-preventable diseases have reached a landmark low, the researchers stressed that there are still some areas of national vaccination that need improvement.

“Adults and adolescents often access health care less frequently than do infants and children and may not receive preventive health care services as part of their medical encounters,” Roush said.

For more information:

• Roush SW, Murphy TW. Historical comparisons of morbidity and mortality for vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. JAMA. 2007;298:2155-2163.