The Pfizer COVID Vaccine Prevented an Estimated 690,000 U.S. Hospitalizations and 110,000 Deaths

Reuters

A new study from researchers associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine describes the “profound health and economic impact” it had on the U.S. in 2021.

Study highlights:

The study found the two-dose series of the vaccine, the most widely used against COVID in the U.S., prevented an estimated 8.7 million symptomatic COVID cases, 690,000 hospitalizations, and 110,000 deaths.

• The peer-reviewed study was published in the Journal of Medical Economics.

• The researchers used modeling, real-world, and trial data to estimate the impact of the vaccine.

The team estimates the vaccine was associated with productivity gains of $43.7 billion, stemming from the overall reduction of cases.

• Most of the gain (64.3%) was related to preventing lost workdays during illness, while over a third (35.7%) stemmed from avoided productivity losses due to death.

The researchers also credit the vaccine with saving an estimated $30.4 billion in healthcare costs, largely driven by averted inpatient costs.

The vaccine:

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine was the first to be available in the U.S., eventually reaching nearly six in ten Americans who were fully vaccinated in 2021.

• The vaccine is marketed under the brand name Comirnaty.

Why it matters:

“The analyses show that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine contributed substantial public health impact in the US in 2021, and had a deep effect on the trajectory of the pandemic,” said lead author Manuela Di Fusco in a statement released with the study.