The study examined how vaccines protect households from financial hardship caused by disease in 52 Gavi-eligible low- and middle-income countries.[1][2] The research team created a mathematical model that analyzed vaccines against hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, rotavirus, measles, and pneumococcal disease between 2000 and 2030.[1] The results showed that vaccines could have averted about 200 million cases of catastrophic health care expenditures, with about half of those cases affecting the poorest households.[2] The first dose of measles vaccine was the most effective, averting about 1,400 cases of financial disaster per 10,000 vaccinated persons in the poorest quintile, for a total of 44 million cases averted.[2] The study demonstrates that vaccines have the potential not only to save lives, but also to protect families from the financial collapse of health care.[6] The authors conclude that sustained investment in vaccination of vulnerable groups in low-income countries can contribute to reducing poverty and improving health outcomes.[2]