Vaccines

Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have for protecting our health and have a long track record of safety and savings to our health care system. Vaccines work by helping your body identify potential infections, so that your own immune system can fight diseases faster and more effectively when exposed to pathogens such as viruses or bacteria.

Vaccines have played a critical role in helping control, some of the most dangerous illnesses, like polio, measles, and rubella and eradicate smallpox globally. Over the last 30 years in the U.S., childhood vaccines have prevented more than one million early deaths. Vaccines have also greatly reduced the severity and toll of many diseases, such as flu, RSV and COVID-19. From saving lives to promoting healthy aging, vaccines play an important role across the human lifespan.

Vaccines traditionally undergo years of testing in rigorous clinical trials involving thousands of patient volunteers to help ensure safety and effectiveness. Once authorized or approved, government agencies develop the appropriate recommendations for who should receive which immunizations and on what schedule. Biopharmaceutical companies, FDA and CDC closely monitor the safety and effectiveness of vaccines the entire time they are available to patients.

U.S. biopharmaceutical leadership in researching and developing vaccines has helped bring earlier access to new vaccines for Americans and economic benefits to society. Researching and developing a new vaccine is a long and complex process and is largely driven by the biopharmaceutical industry. New vaccine development in particular requires large-scale clinical trials, and total development costs that can exceed $1 billion. Biopharmaceutical companies contribute most of the capabilities, facilities resources and expertise needed to research, develop and manufacture new vaccines. They may also collaborate with academic experts, government researchers and others to advance vaccines to support the public health infrastructure.

Vaccine research and development helps create a brighter future, with many vaccines in the pipeline using new technologies that could help prevent the spread of HIV, protect against malaria and treat or prevent several types of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and allergies. To deliver on the promise of ongoing research, it is vital the biopharmaceutical policy environment supports advancements in science and recognizes the critical role of vaccines in improving public health and enabling future pandemic preparedness.

Vaccines drive significant savings for the health care system and society. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over the last 30 years in the United States, childhood vaccines have saved nearly $2.2 trillion, making them one of the most cost-effective public health tools we have.

The years of research the biopharmaceutical industry has invested in vaccine technology brings a range of benefits.

Life-saving vaccines for children and adults. 16 diseases are now preventable in the U.S. due to the development and availability of childhood vaccines and the introduction of a new shingles vaccines in 2017 has reduced the risk of shingles among older adults by 90%.

The ability to develop vaccines quickly and without relying on other countries makes America more secure.

The U.S was able to mobilize quickly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with a safe and effective vaccine in record time, savings millions from severe illness and death, and well over billions in avoidable health care costs.

Conditions like flu, pneumococcal disease, shingles and whopping cough, cost $27 billion in direct and indirect costs each year among adults over the age of 50.