Vaccination: a crucial and underutilized tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant and urgent global public health threat, requiring immediate and sustained political attention. This growing challenge demands the use of all available measures to tackle it, yet one key intervention remains undervalued and underutilized: immunization. While vaccines are one of the most powerful and cost-effective strategies for preventing infectious diseases and reducing AMR, they are rarely emphasized in national plans. According to a 2022 analysis of 108 national AMR action plans, only 14 (13%) explicitly included immunization programs as a crucial tool in preventing and reducing AMR. This alarming oversight comes despite overwhelming evidence of vaccines’ potential to curb the spread of drug-resistant infections. The role of vaccination in tackling AMR Vaccination plays a critical role in the fight against AMR by preventing infections that would otherwise require antibiotic treatment. When fewer people contract vaccine-preventable diseases, the demand for antibiotics decreases, thereby slowing the development of antibiotic resistance....