The potential number of lives that could be saved may increase further with vaccine candidates currently in development.
According to a recent analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO), increasing usage of a few vaccines globally could avoid about 106,000 deaths related to antibiotic resistance annually.
Vaccines are considered a crucial weapon against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs due to the excessive use of antibiotics in both healthcare and agriculture, leading to the emergence of more resistant “superbugs” and limited options for hospitals to treat infections.
Researchers predict that over the next 25 years, antibiotic-resistant infections might cause the deaths of more than 39 million people, with world leaders now pledging to reduce the death toll by 10% by 2030.
According to the new report, the global use of antibiotics could be reduced by 22 per cent with the extensive implementation of vaccines targeting 24 main pathogens.
Boosting the number of immunisations could help defend individuals from infections and decrease the requirement for stronger antibiotics in case of sickness later.
Dr. Martin Friede, head of the WHO’s vaccine research unit, informed reporters that it has been recognized for a long time that vaccines could help manage [AMR].
However, he mentioned that until now, we have not been able to determine which vaccines and their potential impact.
The financial advantages are significant as well, with experts projecting that the current vaccines could prevent $861 million (approximately €772 million) in hospital expenses and $5.9 billion (around €5.3 billion) in lost productivity annually.
Dr Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz, the main author of the report and a technical officer in the WHO’s immunisations department, stated that treating infections that are resistant to antibiotics is extremely expensive.
Upcoming vaccines have the potential to rescue additional individuals
At the same time, the report discovered that the availability of vaccine candidates in the advanced stages of development could prevent 135,000 deaths annually, along with saving $1.2 billion in hospital expenses and $2.2 billion in productivity losses.
Global health experts are optimistic about the development of a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), as it contributed to around 23% of all vaccine-preventable deaths linked to AMR in 2019.
The current BCG vaccine is commonly administered to infants, yet its effectiveness in preventing TB diminishes in adulthood.
An analysis discovered that a recently developed TB vaccine, administered to 70% of infants globally, could have stopped 118,000 deaths in 2019.
This is due to the fact that it requires six to nine months of using antibiotics every day to cure TB.
The officials from the WHO advised governments to expand their current vaccination programs and focus on creating new vaccines to address the most dangerous pathogens.
Friede stated that we can prevent both deaths caused by the pathogen and the use of antibiotics.
News Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash