10/31/2026
Programme on Immunization, The Lancet, Volume 403, Issue 10441P2307-2316, May 25, 2024.
Vaccination since 1974 has made the greatest contribution of any health intervention to mortality reduction and years of full health gained. The results from this study show the impact of vaccination on infant and child mortality and morbidity reduction over the last 50 years, and that the protective effects persist throughout the life course. The greatest contribution is due to measles vaccination. The substantial gains identified in childhood survival due to vaccination highlight the importance of immunisation as a crucial part of primary health care. Ongoing political commitment, sustainable investment, and maintaining local capacity to strengthen health systems will protect the gains of past decades and sustain them into the future. Ensuring these benefits are extended further to reach unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children and missed communities, especially with the measles vaccine, will be crucial to maximise the number of future lives saved. Additional vaccines such as the human papillomavirus vaccine and malaria vaccines are likely to increase further the life-saving impact of immunisation programmes.
