Roundup: Childhood Vaccinations have Saved 1.1 Million Lives Since 1994, CDC Says; and More News

Routine Childhood Vaccinations have Saved 1.1 Million Lives, 32 Million Hospitalizations: CDC

Over the past three decades, routine childhood vaccinations have prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations and 1,129,000 deaths, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which focused on children born from 1994 through 2023.

Since 1994, the U.S. Vaccines for Children (VFC) program has covered the cost of vaccines for children whose families might not otherwise be able to afford vaccines, the CDC noted. The CDC said its report “assessed and quantified the health benefits and economic impact of routine U.S. childhood immunizations among both VFC-eligible and non–VFC-eligible children born during 1994–2023.”

Childhood vaccinations include those that target measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR vaccines); tetanus diphtheria; and the poliovirus.

Despite the extensive health benefits, the public perception of childhood vaccines has been shifting, especially since the COVID pandemic. A Gallup poll published this month found that just 40 percent of Americans believe it’s very important for children to get vaccinated, down from about 58 percent in 2019 and 64 percent in 2001.

“Childhood immunizations continue to provide substantial health and economic benefits and promote health equity,” states the CDC.

Immunizations have contributed to “substantial declines in morbidity and mortality associated with vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide,” the CDC adds.

In response to a U.S. measles resurgence during 1989–1991, the U.S. Congress established the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program in 1994 to provide vaccines at no cost to eligible children.

“Children can receive vaccines through VFC if they are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native. In 2023, approximately 54 percent of children aged 18 years or younger were eligible to receive VFC vaccines,” according to the CDC.

Researchers: Global Cancer Cases, Deaths Among Men Projected to Rise Sharply by 2050

Between 2022 and 2050, cancer cases globally among men are projected to increase from 10.3 million to 19 million, an 84 percent increase. Deaths are projected to increase from 5.4 million to 10.5 million, a 9 percent increase, according to new research published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

“In an analysis of 30 cancer types among men, investigators uncovered substantial disparities in cancer cases and deaths by age and countries’ economic status—disparities that are projected to widen by 2050,” states a new release on the study.

The researchers concluded that there would be a greater than two-fold increase in cancer deaths globally among men aged 65 years and older for countries or territories with low and medium “human development index.”

The index measures each country's development in health, knowledge and standard of living, according to the study. Among 193 countries and territories worldwide, the United States ranks 20^th, with a “very high” rating.

Overall, men face higher rates of cancer and cancer-related deaths than women, “likely due to various factors including lower participation in cancer prevention activities; underuse of screening and treatment options; increased exposure to cancer risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and occupational exposure to carcinogens; and biological differences,” the news release states.

Researchers focused on data from 2022 found in the Global Cancer Observatory, which covers national-level estimates for cancer cases and deaths for 185 countries and territories worldwide. 

COVID Falls to 10^th Leading Cause of U.S. Deaths in 2023, Down from 4^th

Deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. fell 69 percent in 2023, compared to 2022, according to a provisional report on mortality in the U.S. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). COVID was the 10th leading cause of death last year, down from fourth in 2022.

The leading causes of death remained heart disease (680,909 deaths), cancer (613,331), and unintentional injury (222,518). Deaths from heart disease decreased in 2023 compared with 2022 (702,880 deaths), and deaths from cancer increased from 2022 (608,371).

The findings represent estimates based on U.S. death certificates. The CDC is expected to release a final mortality report later this year.

In 2023, a total of 3,090,582 deaths occurred in the U.S, with the age-adjusted rate at 750.4 deaths per 100,000 population, a decrease of 6.1 percent from 798.8 in 2022, the CDC said. The number of deaths was highest during the week ending January 7, 2023 (68,965), and during the week ending December 30, 2023 (65,257).

The overall rate decreased for all age groups. Overall, age-adjusted death rates in 2023 were lowest among non-Hispanic multiracial (352.1 per 100,000) and highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American persons (924.3).

The report notes that COVID deaths decreased last year for people of all ages and racial and ethnic groups. But the COVID death rate among those aged 85 and older “remained higher than those for all other age groups.”

The CDC researchers stated the following in an editorial accompanying the report: “Trends in the ranking of the leading causes of death in the U.S .remained relatively stable until the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 debuted as the third leading cause of death in 2020 and remained among the leading causes in subsequent years. Provisional data from 2023 indicate a shift in the top causes of death, driven largely by a decrease in COVID-19 deaths.”