India, May 5 -- GENEVA - A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives - or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year - over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved - 101 million - were those of infants.

The study, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), shows that immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring babies not only see their first birthdays but continue leading healthy lives into adulthood.

Of the vaccines included in the study, the measles vaccination had the most significant impact on reducing infant mortality, accounting for 60 per cent of the lives saved due to immu...