Herd Immunity: Community Immunity

The original definition of herd immunity pertained to the protective effect that ensued when a population contracted and recuperated naturally from infections. Natural immunity lasts a lifetime whereas vaccine generated immunity does not. There is no question that a disease outbreak can happen in a non-immune population, if a virus is introduced there, but the notion of herd immunity as it is erroneously applied to vaccines is being used to maneuver using disinformation and fear to compel the public into consenting to receive vaccinations contrary to their uninformed will.

Eighty to ninety percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to prevent the potential spread of a disease (percent depends on the infectiousness of the disease). Another valid reason to vaccinate oneself is to create a secure blanket of immune people to protect the unfortunate individuals without the choice of becoming vaccinated. The strategy of protecting others who have not received vaccinations is called herd immunity, which is a more essential reason to become vaccinated compared to only protecting oneself. Those who cannot receive vaccinations are people that have severe allergic reactions to the preservatives in vaccines and younger children. In a Ted Talk, Romina Libster explains the importance of herd immunity, “People who are

‘Herd immunity’ or ‘community immunity’ is a societal idea to protect those who are vulnerable to diseases (“Herd Immunity”). When access to vaccinations are limited, the ‘herd’ is more at risk to infection diseases. Since vaccinations were first used, in 1796, they have been a massive part of our history to prevent the spread of disease, been limited to wealthy countries, and those who are against them. Even today, access to vaccinations are very limited and continue to affect the population.

Measles and rubella, diphtheria and whooping cough, smallpox and polio are some examples of diseases that have been prevented by vaccines (SC6). Epidemics that were common generations ago have almost been eliminated thanks to immunization. Some have even been eradicated in certain countries such as polio or smallpox in the United States. Even though these diseases are almost eliminated, it is still important to have future generations vaccinated to prevent certain diseases from reoccurring. Thankfully, with insurance, immunization can be cost-effective in comparison to the time and money spent on a child who can contract a disease that could have been prevented. As mentioned previously, the absolute success of a vaccination largely depends on the people. This is known as herd immunity. For the majority of diseases, herd immunity is prosperous when 80% or more of the population is vaccinated (AAP). When people begin to opt out of immunization, the safety of herd immunity deteriorates causing the risk of having a disease

Herd immunity is essential in a community where people are unable to be vaccinated. The greater the quantity of people that are immune to a disease, the lower the chance of someone who is vulnerable contracting said disease. Whooping cough is an excellent example of a vaccine that strongly relies on herd immunity. With whooping cough, babies are particularly at risk of infection, therefore it is essential that immediate family members such as the; mother, father and grandparents are all immunised before coming into contact with the

Vaccinations play a very large part in the prevention of diseases spreading. When enough people, 95% according to the CDC, have been vaccinated, the other 5% not vaccinated are protected through herd immunity (Kluger). This term is often used in discussion with

Herd immunity exists when the maximum amount of people are vaccinated, reducing the risk of infection for people at serious risk (i.e. immunocompromised adults, chemotherapy patients, or newborns). When fewer people are unvaccinated, a disease has fewer hosts to spread to. At this point, most states allow vaccination exemption for religious or “moral” conflicts in addition to medical reasons. People who exempt vaccines

When children who have been vaccinated do contract a disease, despite being vaccinated against it, they usually have milder symptoms with less serious complications than an un-vaccinated child that gets the same disease. It is true that some children who receive vaccinations may still become ill when exposed to other disease-ridden children. Research shows that 70-90% of the entire population must be vaccinated to attain “herd immunity”, “the resistance of a group to attack by a disease to which a large proportion of the members are immune.” (Farlex, 2012) When herd immunity is accomplished the spread of the disease can be averted throughout. If all parents were to take proper responsibilities and keep their children’s immunizations up-to-date, herd immunity would be achieved against all 16 of the major life threatening diseases.

When a majority of a community is vaccinated against a contagious disease such as measles, most members of that community are also protected because there is little chance of an outbreak occurring. This also protects those who are not eligible to receive these vaccinations such as young infants, pregnant women, and those who aren’t able to receive vaccinations due to health reasons. Herd immunity protects you, your mother and father, your aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, sons and daughters, your friends, and your neighbors.

When I was younger, I always dreaded going for a checkup at the doctor’s office. Waiting around was boring and procedures were tedious. The worst part for me, however, was always getting shots. The needle scared me and the shot hurt. As a little kid, I didn’t understand why I had to get shots, and why I had to keep getting them year after year. I had no idea how important those shots were, and would continue to be. When I walked out of the doctor’s office after an appointment I left with more than a sore arm and a sticker. I walked away with a stronger immune system and a healthier future.

Children with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia have to get treatment then after they have been cleared they have to get two-three years of maintenance therapy (Holsinger,2012). During this time they will have a compromised immune system. They can still get vaccines but because of the therapy they are receiving the vaccines are not as effective (Holsinger, 2012). If they were to contract a disease like measles it would be much worse for them because of their immune system. If other people vaccinate it stop the outbreaks and lets the people who cannot be vaccinated be a little less concerned about infectious diseases. Also some people are allergic to the ingredients in the vaccines they cannot get them. It is very rare to be allergic but it does happen (Shapiro, 2015) . Some people are allergic to they but only get a small reaction that is not life threatening they could still be vaccinated. Newborn babies are too young for some vaccinations and they can get sick from people who are not vaccinated. (Pemberton, 2015). There is herd immunity which if about 95% of the population is vaccinated it prevents an outbreak since the people are vaccinated they get the disease but their immune system fights it off and then it can no longer spread to other people (Pemberton, 2015). Some people choose not to vaccinate because of allergies but a lot of people who choose not to vaccinate are doing it because

Herd Immunity is the idea to determine whether vaccinating of a significant portion of a population (or

Additionally, by making vaccines mandatory, we can ensure that our nation’s herd immunity can be continued and strengthened for years to come. Herd immunity can be described as a force field that protects a community against diseases, but this force field can only stand when, at a minimum, ninety-five percent of community members are immune through vaccinations (Olsma 12). With most people protected, the disease has no

In contrast, a positive aspect of many people having vaccinations is herd immunity. Herd immunity is the occurrence where a large proportion of a specific population is vaccinated to provide them immunity, and as a result, it also gives some protection to the people of the population who have and yet developed immunity. This happens as the a large group of vaccinated individuals are protected from a virus and creates difficulty for the it to spread because there is only a small percentage of the population left that could be infected by the disease. It is a very crucial aspect of immunity for the community as the people who cannot receive vaccinations (i.e. people with weak immune systems, very young children and patients who are too ill)

Vaccination is another form of keeping our children healthy, especially when they are in school or daycare center. They are exposed to all kinds of illnesses and diseases, by getting them vaccinated their immune system will eventually starts