Illnesses we can prevent still carry a heavy price when we let our guard down.
The Hidden Cost of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools in public health, saving lives, preventing suffering, and reducing long-term healthcare costs. Yet, when vaccination rates fall, vaccine-preventable diseases make a comeback, and they can carry a hefty price.
Beyond the toll on human health, hospitalizations, long recoveries, permanent disability, and even death, these diseases come with steep financial and societal costs. Treating severe cases of illnesses like measles, pertussis (also known as whooping cough), or influenza can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Outbreaks can shut down schools, overwhelm hospitals, and force parents to miss work caring for sick children.
The good news? These outcomes are largely avoidable. Vaccines are well-studied, safe, and far more affordable than the diseases they prevent.
When we vaccinate, we’re not just protecting ourselves. We’re protecting our families, our communities, and our collective future. The cost of skipping vaccines is simply too high.
Sources:
Chicken Pox: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4017-chickenpox
Mumps: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15007-mumps
COVID: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21214-coronavirus-covid-19
Measles: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8584-measles
Flu: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4335-influenza-flu
Whooping cough: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15661-whooping-cough-pertussis
