WHO report: Vaccines vs 24 pathogens can reduce antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic use

This handout image obtained September 20, 2024 courtesy of AstraZeneca shows the FDA approved intranasal FluMist Influenza vaccine. In a first, the US Food and Drug Administration on September 20 approved a nasal spray flu vaccine for self-administration. Starting next fall, AstraZeneca's FluMist, which was initially authorized in 2003, will be available through an online pharmacy, which will determine eligibility based on a screening assessment, then prescribe and ship the needle-free spray. (Photo by AstraZeneca / AFP)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that vaccines against 24 pathogens could reduce the need for antibiotics by 22 percent or 2.5 billion defined daily doses globally every year, which support worldwide efforts to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

While some vaccines are already available but are underused, others would need to be developed and brought to the market as soon as possible.

The 168-page technical report titled, “Estimating the impact of vaccines in reducing antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use,” assessed the role of vaccines in reducing AMR and provided key stakeholders with recommendations for enhancing the impact of vaccines on AMR.

The report released on Oct. 10 analyzed 44 vaccines targeting 24 pathogens: 19 bacteria, four viruses and one parasite.

It estimated that vaccines already in use against pneumococcus pneumonia such as Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB, a bacteria causing pneumonia and meningitis) and typhoid could avert up to 106,000 deaths associated with AMR yearly.

The pentavalent vaccine (5-in-1) currently being provided for free by the Department of Health (DOH) under its National Immunization Program to newborns for free in health centers offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and HiB.

An additional 543,000 deaths associated with AMR could be averted annually when new vaccines for tuberculosis (TB) and Klebsiella pneumoniae are developed and rolled out globally.

Prevention is better than cure

“Addressing antimicrobial resistance starts with preventing infections, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for doing that,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

“Prevention is better than cure, and increasing access to existing vaccines and developing new ones for critical diseases, like tuberculosis, is critical to saving lives and turning the tide on AMR,” he added.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, making people sicker and increasing the risk of illness, death, and the spread of difficult-to-treat infections.

AMR is largely driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, particularly antibiotics. But, at the same time, many people around the world do not have access to essential antimicrobials.

According to WHO estimates, AMR causes nearly 5 million deaths globally each year.

Vaccinated people have fewer infections and are protected against potential complications from secondary infections that may require antimicrobial medicines or hospital admission.

For example, vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae, including the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) which the DOH-NIP offers for free to senior citizens, could save 33 million antibiotic doses.

Vaccinations against tuberculosis, which are also mandatory in the Philippines for newborns, could save between 1.2 to 1.9 billion antibiotic doses.

The report estimates that treating resistant pathogens globally costs US$ 730 billion (P42 trillion) each year. The introduction of vaccines against all evaluated pathogens could save a third of the hospital costs associated with AMR.

In the Philippines, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine recorded 15,700 deaths attributable to AMR and 56,700 deaths associated with AMR in 2019.