Vaccination saves six lives every minute, study says

Global population vaccination efforts have saved 154 million people over the past 50 years – the equivalent of six lives per minute each year. The data comes from a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), carried out between 1974 and 2024. Of the lives saved, 64% were babies.

The study considered vaccines that combat 14 types of diseases: diphtheria, haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, whooping cough, pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis and yellow fever, which directly contributed to reducing child deaths by 40% globally and by more than 50% in Africa.

Among the vaccines evaluated, the measles vaccine had the most significant impact on reducing child mortality: 60% of lives saved.

In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom described vaccines as the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable.

In Brazil, after years of falling vaccine adherence, the country managed to improve vaccination coverage for 13 of the 16 vaccines. Despite the progress, the rates are still below the targets, which range from 90% to 95%.

The infectologist of the Immunization Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases and the Vaccine Calendar Committee of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations, Lauro Ferreira Pinto, said that several diseases have been eradicated by vaccines.

“Despite the Covid pandemic, in recent years, we have had few major illnesses. We don’t have as many cases of tetanus, diphtheria, measles and chickenpox. This made people relax about vaccination.”

The infectious disease specialist and professor of Medicine at Ufes, Paulo Mendes Peçanha, says it is easy to identify the benefits of vaccination. “When I was in college, in the 1970s, we still treated patients with severe tetanus. People died. Today, the concern is about the drop in vaccination coverage, causing us to have diseases like whooping cough again in Brazil. Resuming this coverage has been challenging.”

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A study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that vaccines saved 154 million lives between 1974 and 2024. Of the total, 64% were babies.

Vaccines that combat 14 types of diseases were considered: diphtheria, haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis A, whooping cough, pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis and yellow fever, which contributed to reducing child deaths by 40% globally.

Vaccination in Brazil

After years of falling vaccine adherence, Brazil managed to improve vaccination coverage for 13 of the 16 vaccines on the children’s calendar in 2023:

Poliomyelitis oral and inactivated version, yellow fever, hepatitis A, meningococcal C (1st dose and booster), pentavalent (which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, haemophilus influenzae b – Hib and hepatitis B), rotavirus, pneumococcal 10 (1st dose and booster), triple viral (1st and 2nd dose) and triple bacterial booster (DTP).

Flu vaccine released

An important way to prevent serious cases, vaccination against influenza is being reinforced. From now on, everyone over six months of age can receive the vaccine.

The expansion was authorized by the Ministry of Health through a letter sent to the states last Tuesday.

The measure was announced by Minister Nísia Trindade Lima on her social media page. According to the minister, the strategy of expanding the age range for vaccination was put into practice to try to stop the spread of the flu.

“We are bringing forward this measure to respond to the increase in influenza cases,” he said.

The State Department of Health (Sesa) reinforced that the expansion applies to those who have not yet been vaccinated against the disease.

Municipalities can begin vaccinating the population, depending on available stocks.

According to the Undersecretary of State for Health Surveillance, Orlei Cardoso, the expansion occurs due to the increase in cases of respiratory infections and the stock of doses.

“We reached just over 30% of the total priority groups. The expansion comes at a good time, given the seasonal period of respiratory diseases. ‘Mass’ vaccination will contribute to the reduction of outpatient care and hospitalizations during the autumn and winter period, as during these periods respiratory diseases are more frequent and people spend more time in closed environments, facilitating the transmission of the virus. one person to another”, stated the undersecretary.

Before the expansion, immunization was targeted at priority groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, indigenous people and children up to 6 years old. The campaign started on March 25th, in advance.

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Expansion of the age range

Vaccination in the State

> The Ministry of Health authorized the expansion of the age range for influenza vaccination to all age groups, from six months onwards.

> The expansion applies to those who have not yet been vaccinated against the disease.

> Municipalities can begin vaccinating the population, depending on stocks available in the health units of each municipality.

Campaign

> Since the start of the campaign in March, immunization has targeted priority groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, indigenous peoples and children up to 6 years old.

> The vaccine used is trivalent, that is, it presents three types of virus strains in combination, protecting against the main viruses circulating in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Health.

> The vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines on the National Vaccination Calendar.

Source: Ministry of Health and State Department of Health (Sesa).