No health, no wealth: The cost-effectiveness and socioeconomic value of life-course immunization

Population ageing is a key challenge facing most countries around the world, but the opportunities of longevity are not widely recognized by decision-makers. Living longer means more of us can spend more time in work, volunteering, caring, spending, saving, and doing the things that matter to us. Previous International Longevity Centre (ILC) research has found that the G20 loses around US$1trillion every year to poor health, most of which is preventable.

Poor health is a key barrier to successful longevity; yet vaccines are an effectively and chronically underused intervention to prevent disease and keep people well.

This new report sets out the findings of the ILC’s year-long program of work on vaccine cost-effectiveness across our longer lives:

• Finance policymakers do not currently understand the full range of socioeconomic benefits that immunization brings across the life course
• Not everything that we gain as a result of immunization can be measured; yet where data exists on the economic returns, the evidence is extremely positive. For instance, every $1 invested in adult immunization generates a return of $19 according to the Office of Health Economics.
• Much of the momentum on immunization following the COVID-19 pandemic has been lost; policy makers must do more to change the narrative on the importance of immunization.
• In our ageing world, preventable disease and its impact on communities and economies is a growing challenge. Governments must take bold action to unlock the opportunities of longer lives, given the adverse consequences of failing to adapt to longevity.