The number of children who received their routine vaccinations declined during the pandemic, so public health officials have been focusing on getting kids back up to date. They should also be paying attention to adults as a new, first-of-its-kind report quantifying the economic impact of adult immunizations makes clear.
Researchers at the nonprofit Office of Health Economics, based in London, analyzed four adult vaccine programs — for the flu, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and shingles — across 10 countries including Australia, France, Japan, and the United States. They found that adult vaccination programs paid for themselves many times over, returning up to 19 times the initial investment in societal benefits.