Vaccines have saved 154 million lives since 1974, with children under five accounting for 95 per cent of those spared.
This is according to new data from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, WHO, UNICEF and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The report shows that immunization has cut global infant deaths by 40 per cent in the past five decades.
Measles vaccines alone prevented nearly 94 million deaths, while smallpox was eradicated in 1980 and polio cases have dropped by 99 per cent since 1988.
Health experts say more than 30 diseases can now be prevented with safe vaccines, including pneumonia, rotavirus, measles and HPV, which could avert up to 90 per cent of cervical cancer cases.
They warn, however, that declining vaccines coverage is fueling outbreaks, such as the 2024 measles surge in Europe and Central Asia, while over half of unvaccinated children live in 31 fragile or conflict-hit countries.
Vaccines remain safe, the agencies stressed, noting that side effects are generally mild and serious adverse reactions are rare.
Beyond saving lives, immunization is also an economic boost, with every US$1 invested yielding US$54 in health and economic returns.
