14 vaccine-preventable diseases
14 vaccine-preventable diseases
Overview
Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) are infectious illnesses for which safe and effective vaccines exist, enabling their prevention through immunization programs. The designation "14 vaccine-preventable diseases" refers specifically to a portfolio of diseases targeted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in its supported vaccination programmes across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). This group encompasses a range of pathogens — bacterial, viral, and otherwise — that collectively represent a substantial burden of childhood and adult morbidity and mortality in resource-limited settings. The diseases within this portfolio are selected based on their epidemiological impact, the availability of commercial vaccines, and the feasibility of large-scale immunization delivery. Historically, diseases such as measles, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, and hepatitis B have anchored global VPD programs, with the Gavi portfolio expanding over time to address additional threats including pneumococcal disease, rotavirus gastroenteritis, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and others.
The biological significance of this category lies in the demonstrable capacity of vaccines to interrupt transmission, reduce case fatality, and generate population-level (herd) immunity. Vaccines work by priming the adaptive immune system — primarily through stimulation of B and T lymphocytes — to mount rapid, antigen-specific responses upon natural exposure. At the public health level, coordinated vaccination programs targeting this portfolio of 14 diseases have the potential to prevent millions of deaths annually. Monitoring VPD trends, vaccine coverage, and program effectiveness is therefore a core activity of national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs), international alliances, and health ministries worldwide.
Focus of Latest Publications
Recent scientific literature has examined vaccine-preventable diseases across multiple axes: global burden modeling, national program surveillance, special-population vaccination gaps, and adult immunization literacy.
A landmark modeling study published in The Lancet (PMID: 42134355) quantified the relative health impact of Gavi-supported vaccination programmes against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases across 117 low-income and middle-income countries at the subregional level. By applying vaccine impact ratios derived from multiple independent models, the study provided a granular, comparative picture of which diseases and geographies yielded the greatest returns from immunization investment. This work represents one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of the Gavi portfolio's health impact, and the use of commercial vaccines as the intervention substrate underpins its real-world applicability.
In Australia, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) published consecutive annual statements on immunisation covering performance in 2023 and 2024 (PMIDs: 42184439 and 42184440, respectively). Both statements highlighted key successes, emerging trends, and persistent challenges in VPD control, reflecting the ongoing surveillance role that national bodies play in tracking disease incidence, vaccine coverage rates, and program equity. These reports contextualize vaccine-preventable diseases not as static targets but as dynamic public health challenges requiring annual reassessment.
A cross-sectional study conducted in China (PMID: 42044611) drew attention to a frequently overlooked subgroup: children with underlying medical conditions. The study found that despite facing elevated risks from vaccine-preventable diseases, these children demonstrate suboptimal vaccination coverage. The work examined factors influencing the willingness of vaccination staff to vaccinate this vulnerable population, identifying attitudinal and structural barriers that contribute to coverage gaps. This underscores that achieving immunization goals for VPDs requires addressing not only supply-side availability of vaccines but also healthcare provider knowledge and confidence.
Complementing the provider-focused work, a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) study in Mexico (PMID: 42166462) surveyed both adults and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to characterize immunization literacy and practice related to vaccine-preventable diseases and adult vaccination. The study identified sociodemographic factors that modulate KAP profiles, revealing disparities between lay adults and HCPs and highlighting targets for educational intervention. Together, these studies illustrate that the challenge of controlling vaccine-preventable diseases extends beyond childhood immunization schedules into adult populations and healthcare systems.
Key Publications
- May ATAGI 2024 Annual Statement on Immunisation. (Communicable diseases intelligence (2018), 2026, PMID 42184439): "It highlights the key successes, trends and challenges in the use of vaccines and control of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) in Australia in 2023."
- May ATAGI 2025 Annual Statement on Immunisation. (Communicable diseases intelligence (2018), 2026, PMID 42184440): "It highlights the key successes, trends and challenges in the use of vaccines and control of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) in Australia in 2024."
- May Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to adult vaccination among adults and healthcare professionals across Mexico. (PloS one, 2026, PMID 42166462): "Our primary objectives were to describe the KAP regarding vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccination among adults and HCPs in Mexico, and to identify differences by sociodemographic factors."
- May Factors influencing vaccination staff willingness to vaccinate children with medical conditions: A cross-sectional study in China. (Vaccine, 2026, PMID 42044611): "Children with medical conditions face elevated risks from vaccine-preventable diseases, yet their vaccination coverage remains suboptimal."
- May Quantifying relative health impact across Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance's portfolio in 117 countries at the subregional level: a modelling study. (Lancet (London, England), 2026, PMID 42134355): "...to estimate vaccine impact ratios for an expanded portfolio of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance-supported vaccination programmes against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases across 117 low-income and middle-income countries using multiple models."