In 2021, almost 6.5 million deaths occurred in individuals younger than 20 years of age. About 5 million of these deaths occurred in children younger than 5 years of age. In 2021, it was estimated that more than 18 million children did not receive any vaccines, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the estimate was closer to 14 million children lacking vaccinations.

Top causes of death in children less than 5 years old in 2021

Data from 2021 were published in 2024. These causes of death indicate several million losses associated with infectious diseases. Among children younger than 5 years of age, more than 40 of 100 deaths may be associated with infectious diseases (categories included in this indicated with bold). Many of these could be prevented with vaccines. 

• Prematurity
• Lower respiratory infections
• Birth-related complications
• Malaria
• Diarrheal diseases
• Congenital anomalies
• Injuries
• Sepsis (bloodstream infections)
• Tuberculosis
• Measles
• Meningitis and encephalitis
• Other causes

Of the almost 1.5 million deaths in those 5 to 19 years of age, about 37 of 100 deaths are attributable to infectious diseases. Many of which are also preventable by vaccination.

References:

• Global, regional, and national causes of death in children and adolescents younger than 20 years: an open data portal with estimates for 2000–21, The Lancet. January 2024.
• World Health Organization. Immunization coverage. July 18, 2023. Accessed June 29, 2024.
• World Health Organization. Global Health Observatory data. Child mortality and causes of death. Accessed June 29, 2024.
• Unicef. Under-five mortality. March 2024. Accessed June 29, 2024.

Worldwide disease incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases

Even though some diseases may not be making people in your neighborhood sick, they may be common in other parts of the world. Given that people commonly travel for business, to visit family and friends, to volunteer with relief groups, and for vacation, the viruses or bacteria that cause infectious diseases can easily “hitch a ride.” Here is a look at the worldwide prevalence of many vaccine-preventable diseases:

Global Immunization: Disease Incidence in the U.S. and the World (Last updated: 2020)

Anthrax

• Worldwide cases/year: 2,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: 1-2
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

Cholera

• Worldwide cases/year: 1.3 million to 4 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: 21,000 to 143,000
• U.S. cases/year: < 15
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

Diphtheria

• Worldwide cases/year: 17,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: about 1,700
• U.S. cases/year: < 1
• U.S. deaths/year: < 1

Hepatitis A

• Worldwide cases/year: 1.4 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: about 7,000
• U.S. cases/year: 6,700
• U.S. deaths/year: about 90

Hepatitis B

• Worldwide cases/year: 30 million new infections and about 260 million chronic infections
• Worldwide deaths/year: 900,000
• U.S. cases/year:  22,200 new infections and 860,000 to 2 million chronic infections
• U.S. deaths/year: < 2,000

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

• Worldwide cases/year: 7 million to 8 million cases of pneumonia
• Worldwide deaths/year: hundreds of thousands
• U.S. cases/year: < 35
• U.S. deaths/year: < 5

Human Papillomavirus

• Worldwide cases/year: 570,000 cases of cervical cancer
• Worldwide deaths/year: > 300,000
• U.S. cases/year: 14 million new infections, 34,800 cases of cancer caused by HPV
• U.S. deaths/year: > 5,000

Influenza

• Worldwide cases/year: 3 million to 5 million severe cases
• Worldwide deaths/year: 290,000 to 650,000
• U.S. cases/year: 9 million to 36 million
• U.S. deaths/year: up to 56,000

Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV)

• Worldwide cases/year: 68,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: 13,600 to 20,400
• U.S. cases/year: < 1
• U.S. deaths/year: < 1

Meningococcus

• Worldwide cases/year: 500,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: 50,000
• U.S. cases/year: about 350
• U.S. deaths/year: about 50

Measles

• Worldwide cases/year: > 350,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: 140,000
• U.S. cases/year:  about 1,300
• U.S. deaths/year: < 2

Mumps

• Worldwide cases/year: > 500,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: about 3,500
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

Pertussis

• Worldwide cases/year: about 24 million children younger than 5 years old
• Worldwide deaths/year: about 161,000 children younger than 5 years old
• U.S. cases/year: about 16,000
• U.S. deaths/year: < 25

Pneumococcus

• Worldwide cases/year: unavailable
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: 1,000,000
• U.S. deaths/year: < 22,000

Polio

• Worldwide cases/year: < 35
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: 0
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

Rabies

• Worldwide cases/year: 29 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: > 59,000
• U.S. cases/year: 1 to 3
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

Rotavirus

• Worldwide cases/year: > 258 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: about 128,000
• U.S. cases/year: 500,000
• U.S. deaths/year: < 10

Rubella

• Worldwide cases/year: about 15,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: < 10 reported cases
• U.S. deaths/year: unavailable

Shingles

• Worldwide cases/year: unavailable
• Worldwide deaths/year: unavailable
• U.S. cases/year: est. 1 million
• U.S. deaths/year: < 100

Tetanus

• Worldwide cases/year: 500,000 to 1 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: About 40,000
• U.S. cases/year about 30
• U.S. deaths/year: 3 to 4

Tuberculosis

• Worldwide cases/year: 10 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: 1.5 million
• U.S. cases/year: < 10,000
• U.S. deaths/year: < 500

Typhoid

• Worldwide cases/year: 11 million to 21 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: 128,000 to 161,000
• U.S. cases/year: < 400
• U.S. deaths/year: unavailable

Varicella (Chickenpox)

• Worldwide cases/year: 40 million to 50 million
• Worldwide deaths/year: > 4,200
• U.S. cases/year: < 350,000
• U.S. deaths/year: < 20

Yellow Fever

• Worldwide cases/year: about 84,000 to 170,000
• Worldwide deaths/year: about 30,000 to 60,000
• U.S. cases/year: 0
• U.S. deaths/year: 0

*Data represented in this table was compiled from multiple sources and in most cases rounded to the nearest thousand. The information presented represents the most recent data available.

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