Higher Adult Vaccination Could Have Prevented Tens of Thousands of Deaths
UPPER NYACK, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) study showed seasonal influenza continues to impose a massive and largely preventable economic and human toll on the United States.
According to the newly released paper, “Influenza’s Economic Burden and the Impact of Adult Vaccination,” influenza cost the U.S. economy nearly $29 billion and contributed to more than 27,000 adult deaths during the 2023–24 flu season.
Led by Robert Popovian, PharmD, MS, Founder of Conquest Advisors and Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), and Wayne Winegarden, PhD, Senior Fellow in Business and Economics at the Pacific Research Institute and Director of PRI’s Center for Medical Economics and Innovation, the study estimates the annual cost of influenza and confirms how higher adult vaccination rates are strongly associated with lower hospitalization and mortality. The study finds that even a modest uptake in vaccinations could save billions of dollars and thousands of lives each year.
$29 Billion
Using CDC burden estimates combined with healthcare utilization, cost, and labor market data, Drs. Popovian and Winegarden found that influenza among U.S. adults in the 2023–24 season resulted in approximately $16 billion in direct medical costs and $13 billion in lost productivity. The costs were driven by missed workdays, caregiving responsibilities, and premature mortality.
“Influenza is often treated as a routine seasonal inconvenience, but the economic data tell a very different story,” said Dr. Winegarden.
“It represents a recurring and substantial drag on the U.S. economy, burdening employers, families, and healthcare systems alike. What’s striking is that a large share of these costs are avoidable. Higher vaccination rates don’t just improve health outcomes; they also improve economic efficiency by reducing hospitalizations, workforce disruption, and preventable deaths,” Dr. Winegarden added.
Lower Mortality and Reduced Hospitalization
A central tenet of the study is its analysis of how vaccination rates have influenced outcomes across 14 flu seasons. The authors found that higher adult vaccination rates were associated with significantly lower mortality among adults aged 18 and older, and with reduced hospitalizations among adults aged 50 and older.
Using predictive analytics, the researchers also modeled what would have happened if adult vaccination rates in 2023–24 had matched recent historical highs. Under that scenario, the study estimates that more than 8,000 deaths could have been prevented, and nearly $3 billion in economic losses avoided.
“This analysis makes clear that adult influenza vaccination is a smart clinical intervention, resulting in high-value public health and economic returns,” said Dr. Popovian.
“Every year, we leave enormous health and economic benefits on the table by failing to achieve higher adult vaccination coverage. The evidence now shows very clearly that increasing vaccination uptake saves lives, reduces strain on the healthcare system, and lowers costs for society as a whole,” he added.
Barriers Exist
Despite the clear benefits, adult vaccination rates remain inconsistent and suboptimal across all age groups, but particularly among working-age adults. Barriers such as limited access during work hours, lack of workplace vaccination programs, underestimation of influenza severity, and structural and policy obstacles within the healthcare system continue to suppress uptake.
“We hear far too often from the families and individuals we represent that they regret not taking the time to get their annual flu vaccine,” said Michele Slafkosky, Executive Director of Families Fighting Flu, a pro-vaccine education non-profit amplifying stories of families impacted by influenza.
“In some cases, we have seen people diagnosed with the flu who have been out of work for weeks or even months, experiencing job loss, lost income, and long-term impacts on their families’ financial stability. These are preventable hardships that can have a devastating toll, physically, emotionally, and financially. We are grateful to partner with the Global Healthy Living Foundation to share this important data with the goal of increasing vaccination rates and preventing future flu-related tragedies, both physical and financial,” Ms. Slafkosky added.
Policy recommendations and implementation strategies to improve adult vaccination uptake, including actions for healthcare systems, employers, health plans, and healthcare professionals, are outlined in an accompanying executive summary authored by Drs. Popovian and Winegarden. Those recommendations and more can be found in the executive summary downloadable here.
About the Study
“Influenza’s Economic Burden and the Impact of Adult Vaccination” analyzes CDC influenza burden data from the 2010–11 through 2023–24 seasons, linking vaccination rates to hospitalization and mortality outcomes and estimating the economic consequences of varying vaccination scenarios. The complete paper is available here.
About GHLF
The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit www.ghlf.org for more information.
Contacts
Louis Tharp
LTHARP@GHLF.ORG
845-323-8408
