The hidden cost of avoiding vaccines

Vaccine-preventable diseases cost the U.S. $9 billion in 2015, mostly because unvaccinated people got sick. It’s flu season—and not getting your shot could prove costly. Last year, influenza dinged the U.S. economy for $5.5 billion in lost productivity, hospital visits, and other costs, with the vast majority of that coming from people who didn’t roll their sleeves up for a jab. In all, vaccine-preventable diseases cost the country about $9 billion in 2015, with 80 percent of that coming from people who failed to get vaccinated, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs. While close to 17 million influenza cases accounted for the lion’s share of the losses, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis B, and HPV infection all had significant parts to play. From a public health standpoint, this is low-hanging fruit—or should be. Last year, only about 42 percent of U.S. adults over age 18 got a flu vaccine. A separate study...