Washington, D.C. — Routine childhood immunization is heralded as one of the greatest public health success stories and has saved 154 million lives globally since 1974. A new Center for American Progress issue brief reviews how a wave of mis- and disinformation swirling around vaccines and their effectiveness is threatening the health of American children and communities.
Fueled by growing misinformation circulating on social media and by public figures—such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—many Americans now express concerns about vaccine safety, despite success in eradicating diseases that were once common and rigorous testing, approval protocols, and ongoing safety monitoring conducted by scientists and doctors. This issue brief sounds the alarm on the dangerous repercussions of the growing vaccine disinformation campaigns, including declining vaccine rates and increasing rates of requests for exemptions to vaccine requirements, which could undo decades of progress in protecting children from severe disease and death. Some of the key takeaways from the issue brief include:
- Of the approximately 117 million children born in the United States between 1994 and 2023, research estimates that over the lifetimes of those children, receiving vaccinations will prevent more than 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1 million deaths.
- Routine vaccination of these children will result in a net savings of $540 billion in direct costs and $2.7 trillion in societal costs.
- Research shows that every dollar spent on childhood vaccination saves an estimated $3 in direct medical care.
- As school vaccine exemption rates have been rising, vaccination coverage rates among children have been declining, dropping to less than 93 percent during the 2023-24 school year, increasing the risk of preventable disease outbreaks.
“The bottom line is vaccines save lives, protect our communities, and are safe. Their profound impact cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Steven Woolf, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and co-author of the issue brief. “Diseases that once caused widespread death and permanent disabilities such as brain damage, paralysis, hearing loss, and other complications are now preventable thanks to safe and effective routine vaccines. Any attempts to spread falsehoods about the impact of vaccines puts our children, communities, and future generations at risk of unnecessary harm.”
“Putting anti-vaccine influencers in powerful political positions within the federal government could undo decades of progress,” said Jill Rosenthal, director of Public Health at the Center for American Progress and co-author of the issue brief. “We need policymakers and leaders who will counter disinformation; restore trust and bolster vaccine confidence; and support strong school vaccine policies. Any efforts to confuse the public about the safety and efficacy of vaccines is disingenuous. The American public already has access to extensive data and research on vaccine safety. We know they work.”
Read the issue brief: “Childhood Vaccination Has Saved Millions of Lives, but Rising Hesitancy Could Reverse Decades of Progress” by Steven Woolf and Jill Rosenthal
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