Vaccines Against 23 Pathogens Could Reduce Number Of Antibiotics Needed By 22% Globally Per Year, Report Says

The Washington Post (10/26, Blakemore) reported, “Vaccines against just 23 pathogens could reduce the number of antibiotics needed by 22 percent globally per year, the World Health Organization recently announced.” This month, the WHO “published a technical report that takes an in-depth look at vaccination’s ‘underrecognized’ role in decreasing antimicrobial resistance.” As many as “5 million deaths globally in 2019 can be attributed to antimicrobial resistance, the agency writes.” New and current “vaccines could cut that number, the report suggests, averting deaths and reducing antibiotic use while reducing hospital costs and productivity losses.”