“The return on investment in global health is tremendous, and the biggest bang for the buck comes from vaccines. Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective health investments in history,”-Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (BrainyQuote). While this may be true, many are yet to reap the much-needed benefits of vaccines. The modern world has taken advantage of vaccines for years. Unfortunately, people in developing regions, such as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, are in desperate need for wider vaccine availability and coverage. Overall, vaccines in the third world are essential to preventing economic harm and the spread of infectious diseases.
To commence, the importance of vaccines has long been ignored in the
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In the modernized world, vaccine coverage has been at a constant high level, but over the past few years, it has been faltering based on anti-vaccine hysteria, noted Eileen Wang of the American Journal of Public Health (1). James D. Mancuso, who studied the case of a measles outbreak in unvaccinated children within a military community, posits that when a community’s vaccine coverage falls, it creates a “pocket of susceptibility” where people are more vulnerable to diseases, and people are no longer protected by herd immunity (2). What is more concerning is that, when incidences of disease happen within these pockets of susceptibility, they often originate from developing countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Measles- Cases and Outbreaks page, in 2014, the United States had “23 measles outbreaks, including one large outbreak of 383 cases, occurring primarily among unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio. Many of the cases in the U.S. in 2014 were associated with cases brought in from the Philippines” (Measles- Cases and Outbreaks). Consequently, similar incidences have been on the rise with increased travel rates to developing countries. The CDC finds that increased travel to in Asia, the Middle East, and anticipated increases in travel to Africa will endanger more people to vaccine-preventable infections (Travel Epidemiology). Overall, …show more content…
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Accessed 12 December 2017
“Travel Epidemiology.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 June 2017, https:// wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/introduction/travel-epidemiology. Accessed
Health care policies are put into place regarding childhood immunization requirements for schools, along with information on obtaining religious exemptions. Each state and/or country develops their own individualized guidelines through interactions with federal and state government agencies. One in five babies around the world are missing out on basic vaccines and may die from weak health systems and insufficient funding. UNICEF and its partners are working to change these numbers and ensure that all children are successfully protected with vaccines.
The article’s information is presented with the goal of informing a reader on vaccines. The evidence is statistical and unbiased, showing data on both side effects and disease prevention, providing rates of death and serious illness from both sides. This evidence is sourced from a variety of medical organizations and seems reliable, logical, and easily understood, no language that would inspire an emotional response is used. The validity of studies is not mentioned in the article, but it does encourage readers to investigate further to help make a decision. The article allows a reader to analyze the presented evidence and come to their own
Atkinson, William. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Washington: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1996.
Each day researchers are finding out about vaccines and are realizing that there are a lot more risks than benefits. Dr Phillip F. Incao explains: “Today, far more children suffer from allergies and other chronic immune system disorders than from life-threatening infectious disease. It is neither reasonable nor prudent to persist in presuming that the benefits of any vaccination outweigh its risk” (qtd in Spaker). While infectious diseases are becoming uncommon there is no need for any person to get vaccinated. There have been many issues surrounding vaccinations all around the world.
Mumps, Measles, Whooping Cough, Smallpox, Polio and, Diphtheria are all deadly diseases that were once a death sentence to children and adults around the world, but there is something that can help combat these fatal diseases. Vaccinations can change the course of these lethal diseases, but some families are still refusing to vaccinate the future of the world. Vaccinations can not only be beneficial to the child itself but to rest of humanity as well. There is evidence that goes against false claims bashing vaccination and the positive effects of vaccination overrule all of the negative. Vaccination can have a positive effect on the world due to its life-saving properties, effects on humanity and the extensive amount of safety and care that
Disease has been known to humankind as the invisible killer for centuries. Plagues destroying towns, people dying for unexplainable reasons, and children dying all too soon. The miracle of modern medicine has permitted society to to have significant control over these terrifying invisible killer outbreaks. The vaccine is one of the greatest miracles of modern medicine. For example, the vaccine for the polio virus has virtually eliminated the incidences of polio in humans. “Vaccines represent a low-risk intervention administer according to a schedule in which there are currently no known acceptable alternatives.” (Opel et al. 2013). Vaccines protect the person who has been vaccinated from viruses and the more persons vaccinated the more
For example, in China, the measles vaccine consisting of two doses was first introduced in the National Expanded Program on Immunization. The Zhejiang provincial EPI program noticed that measles was beginning to decrease due to the vaccine, while mumps and rubella was still spreading. This is when the MMR vaccine was introduced and implemented. By 2007 the second dose of MV was replaced by the MMR vaccine. Following this development the rate of measles reached a historical low in 2011 due to the vaccine produced by the EPI. Not only did the cases of measles decrease but so did the cases of rubella with the introduction of the combined vaccine (He, n.p.). Additionally, a record 9,120 cases of pertussis were reported in California in 2010 the most since 1947. A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics was done to determine how this disease was spreading. Their results showed that among other factors the large amount of unvaccinated children in one area was a major contributor to the clusters of pertussis. There was a strong correlation between communities with a large number of unvaccinated children and pertussis outbreaks in California. This could have been avoided due to the fact that pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease. The importance of vaccines can be seen through the results of this study, which show that parents intentionally avoiding the
In 1960 America was ranked 12th in the infant mortality rate among all other nations in the World and by 2005 we were ranked 30th. The United States distributes more vaccines to infants t...
Believe it or not, but investing money in vaccines actually helps our economy. When a person thinks about it, it makes sense. For every vaccine you receive, the less likely you will have to pay medical expenses if you get sick. And that money adds up, “Every $1 invested in immunization returns an estimated $16 in health-care savings and increased economic productivity” (Bustreo par. 4). Using those statistics, every ten dollars a person spends on getting a flu vaccine potentially saves them one hundred-sixty dollars from doctor visits. Imagine what that could do in third world countries where hundreds of people are dying everyday from vaccine-preventable diseases. Imagine how quickly that money could add up. Not only would it save their citizens’ lives, it would actually help their economy
“Childhood vaccination is widely regarded as one of the most cost-effective disease prevention interventions” (Madhi, et al 368). Getting children vaccinated and protected from many diseases costs less money and takes very little time, as opposed to the alternative of not getting them immunized and risking them potentially acquiring a vaccine preventable disease. Some vaccine preventable diseases can result in ongoing disabilities which tend to take a large financial toll on families because of lost time at work that is taken to care for a sick child. Additional financial challenges that parents could face if they chose not to vaccinate their child include enormous medical expenses and the cost of potential long-term disability care. Contrarily, having children vaccinated against these diseases is a great investment for families and is often covered by insurance companies at no cost. Research confirms that vaccines are one of the greatest medical achievements and the most cost-effective medical advancement ever established (Lantos, et al
Vaccinations have significantly reduced the disease rate throughout the world. Usually, vaccines prove to be between 90 and 99 percent effective. This reduces disease and mortality rate by thousands every year (Jolley and Douglas 1). On average, vaccines save the lives of 33,000 innocent children every year (“Vaccines” 1). In addition, if a vaccinated child did contract the vaccine’s targeted illness, that child would, in general, have more mild symptoms than an unvaccinated child that contracts the same illness. These vaccinated children will have less serious complications if they do contract the disease; they will be much more treatable, and have a lower risk of death (Jolley and Douglas 2). The risks of not vaccinating greatly outweigh the small risks of vaccination. Diseases like measles and mumps can cause permanent disability. While there i...
For parents, hearing their children cry is like a stab to their heart. The restless nights are full of anguish for the parents, and pain for a child with measles. This disease, and many like it, can be completely eradicated simply by taking children to get vaccinated. Throughout history, plagues and diseases have jeopardized civilizations and cultures. Modern medicine now provides protection against these diseases; it is a shame some parents still refuse this life saving aid. Vaccinations should be mandatory because they help keep our children, communities and future generations safe; they also provide the possibility of a world without Human Papillomavirus, whooping cough and other
While vaccines will help each individual, it will also contribute to the future health of the generations to come. In the US, vaccines have reduced or eliminated many infectious diseases that once routinely killed or harmed many infants, children, and adults. That effect is greatly caused by the fact that more and more people are choosing to get vaccinated. Vaccines have eradicated Polio and smallpox along with other diseases. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1948; the last case in the world was 1977 in Somalia. Due to these eradicated diseases, there is no need to vaccinate against them. However, keeping up with the latest vaccinations, decreases the risks of those diseases to ever reappear. The CDC notes that many vaccine-preventable diseases are still in the United States or "only a plane ride away." Although the paralytic form of polio has largely disappeared thanks to vaccination, the virus still exists in countries like Pakistan(“ProCon.org".) Those who choose not to vaccinate are not only risking their lives but the lives of their young children and the elderly. There are some people who are not able to get vaccinated, due to specific medical conditions or age. These people rely heavily on “herd immunity”. Herd immunity means that when a "critical portion" of a population is vaccinated against a contagious disease, it
Those who choose not to vaccinate their children are endangering the health of those unable to be vaccinated themselves, such as infants, pregnant people, and the immunocompromised, by jeopardizing community immunity. According to vaccine.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, community immunity or “herd immunity” occurs when “a critical portion of the community is immunized against a contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak” (Community Immunity). An infographic featured in an NPR article entitled “How Vaccine Fears Fueled the Resurgence of Preventable Diseases” illustrated the rise in measles cases in Western Europe and of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the U.S (Doucleff). In the first eight months of 2014, there were eighteen measles outbreaks, and six hundred cases of measles.
Preventing diseases is every countries’ responsibility, whether they are poor or rich. Poor countries lack the knowledge and the money to gain, and expand medical resources. Therefore, many people are not been able to be cured. For wealthy countries, diseases are mutating at incredible speeds. Patients are dying because drug companies do not have enough data to produce vaccines to cure patients. When developed countries help poor countries to cure their people, the developed countries could help underdeveloped countries. Since developed countries can provide greater medical resources to poor countries, people living in the poor countries could be cured. As for the developed countries, they can collect samples from the patients so that the drug companies can produce new vaccines for new diseases. When trying to cure diseases, developed countries and poor countries would have mu...