Vaccines could save half a million lives lost to superbugs each year

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-10-11 00:01

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Current and future vaccines could save more than 500,000 lives lost to superbugs, or antimicrobial resistance, each year, according to a World Health Organization report. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making their infections difficult or impossible to treat, and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death. The report found that existing vaccines could already avert up to 106 000 deaths a year, by reducing the incidence of infections, transmission of pathogens, antibiotic use, and subsequently, the evolution of resistant genes.