Vaccines: Medicine’s Great Success Story
Since their introduction in the late 18th century, vaccines have saved more lives than any other medical intervention throughout history.1 As a result, infectious diseases that once devastated generation after generation, such as smallpox and polio, have been eradicated while others have reached historic lows.2,3
Today, there are vaccines available to protect against 30 specific diseases globally (21 in the U.S.), shifting the trajectory for human health. In fact, childhood vaccination alone prevents about four million deaths around the world each year.3,4
During World Immunization Week (April 24 to 30), Pfizer proudly reflects on its role in vaccine research and development, but we recognize that our work is far from over. There are still challenges with vaccine equity in lower-income countries5 and rates of vaccinations in the U.S. have slowly been declining.6 Growing hesitancies seen in more developed countries like the U.S., is one of the reasons why the World Health Organization declared vaccine hesitancy as a top ten threat to human health in 2019.7,8
Value and Impact
At Pfizer, we understand that supporting health means supporting life. Vaccines do just that by reducing burdens on healthcare systems, driving herd immunity and helping communities thrive economically.9,10
In the United States, the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program covers the cost of routine vaccinations for children whose parents or caretakers can’t afford them. This includes vaccines such as MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, polio, and more. For kids who were born between 1994 (when the program began) until 2023, this wide adoption of childhood vaccines prevented 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and saved more than a million lives. This effort alone minimized healthcare-related costs by $2.7 trillion.11
At least 154 million lives have been saved over the last 50 years through vaccination12 and receiving every dose on time gives communities the best chance of tackling infectious disease.
Pfizer’s Commitment
Our history with vaccines dates back to 1882 when researchers at Pfizer developed a smallpox vaccine. By 1915 we were manufacturing a million doses of the vaccine per week and ultimately played a pivotal role in eradicating the disease. Ever since, we’ve continued to fuel a Vaccine Research & Development program that is focused on breakthroughs that will make the biggest impact on public health.
Immunization has saved 6 lives every minute globally since 197413 and we’re proud to help protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases can live longer and healthier lives.
Learn more about Pfizer’s dedication to vaccines:
- Shot of a Lifetime: How Two Pfizer Manufacturing Plants Upscaled to Produce the COVID-19 Vaccine in Record Time
- mRNA and Artificial Intelligence for Advanced Vaccine Innovation
- The Action-Packed Search for Stability: A Breakthrough in the Fight Against RSV
- Vaccines, Using Natural Immunity – Pfizer's Focus Areas
Sources
[1] “A Brief History of Vaccines.” World Health Organization. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/a-brief-history-of-vaccination
[2] “14 Diseases You Almost Forgot About Thanks to Vaccines.” American Academy of Pediatrics: HealthyChildren.org. April 8, 2021. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Vaccination-Protects-Against-These-Diseases.aspx
[3] World Immunization Week 2025. World Health Organization. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/2025
[4] “Fast Facts on Global Immunization.” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 19, 2024. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/global-immunization/fast-facts/
[5] “Immunization Coverage.” World Health Organization. July 14, 2024. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/immunization-coverage
[6] “Decline in Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months and Vaccination Inequities Among Children Born in 2020 and 2021 — National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2021–2023” Center for Disease Control. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7338a3.htm
[7] “The Vaccine Hesitancy Moment” New England Journal of Medicine. June 29, 2022. Accessed April 18, 2025. The Vaccine-Hesitant Moment | New England Journal of Medicine
[8] “Ten Threats to Global Health in 2019.” World Health Organization. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019/
[9] “Vaccines Protect Your Community.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/basics/work/protection/index.html
[10] Zhou F, Jatlaoui TC, Leidner AJ, et al. Health and Economic Benefits of Routine Childhood Immunizations in the Era of the Vaccines for Children Program — United States, 1994–2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:682– 685. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7331a2
[11] “Health and Economic Benefits of Routine Childhood Immunizations in the Era of the Vaccines for Children Program — United States, 1994–2023.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. August 8, 2024. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7331a2.htm
[12] “Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years.” World Health Organization. April 24, 2024. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2024-global-immunization-efforts-have-saved-at-least-154-million-lives-over-the-past-50-years/
[13] “World Immunization Week 2025.” World Health Organization. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/2025