Why vaccines are important for our country ’s financial health, too

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Imagine there was a simple treatment that could be given to babies and toddlers that was not only remarkably effective in preventing illness, but also inexpensive. And imagine that this treatment was not only inexpensive, but also lowered overall health care costs. There’s no need to imagine; the treatment exists. It’s called immunization. It’s National Infant Immunization Week, a time to recognize and celebrate immunization. It’s during infancy that we give the most vaccines, but the benefits extend far beyond infancy and beyond those babies. The protection lasts for years, keeping babies safe from vaccine-preventable illnesses as they grow — and, by decreasing the number of sick children who might make others sick, vaccines protect entire communities. But one aspect of immunization that doesn’t get as much attention is the impact they can have on health care costs. Given that national health expenditures were 17.8% of the Gross Domestic Product in 2015 (nearly $10,000 per person) and are expected to rise more than 5% a year through 2025, we need to pay attention to anything that cuts costs — especially when it cuts costs by preventing illness. The current recommended immunization schedule calls for babies to get the following vaccines by about 18 months of age (some of these are given as combination vaccines): Four doses of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, and pneumococcus Three doses of v...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Health policy Infectious diseases Managing your health care Parenting Prevention Vaccines Source Type: blogs