Herd Immunity: The Importance Of Vaccines

This new vaccine would drastically change the way people battle against infections and reduce the number of people that get sick. Even in the 1950’s vaccines were already making an impact on society.

Vaccines have had an undeniably positive impact on society, and are considered to be one of the most effective ways of protecting oneself and others from harmful diseases. Due to vaccinations, smallpox has been officially eradicated since 1980 and polio has been reduced to scarce singular incidents (Bt.cdc.gov, 2007; Immunise.health.gov.au, 2015). Similarly measles has been eliminated within Australia since 2014, however the

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

Vaccines have been used to prevent diseases for centuries, and have saved countless lives of children and adults. The smallpox vaccine was invented as early as 1796, and since then the use of vaccines has continued to protect us from countless life threatening diseases such as polio, measles, and pertussis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) assures that vaccines are extensively tested by scientist to make sure they are effective and safe, and must receive the approval of the Food and Drug Administration before being used. “Perhaps the greatest success story in public health is the reduction of infectious diseases due to the use of vaccines” (CDC, 2010). Routine immunization has eliminated smallpox from the globe and

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.

The use of vaccinations have helped to eradicate small pox, measles and polio. Although recently vaccinations have become controversy once again it is important to keep updated on vaccinations, because one person could lead to a new outbreak of old diseases that have been irrelevant for hundreds of years. Vaccines are a great preventative measure to ensure that epidemics of the past don’t come back and haunt us in the future. If everyone remains vaccinated old diseases and new ones have less of a chance of becoming a wide spread epidemic which would cause chaos in the

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

Un-vaccinated individuals put those who are unable to receive vaccinations in danger. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as pregnant women or individuals, who are undergoing cancer treatment, as well as children who are too young to be vaccinated, are unable to receive vaccines, which makes these individuals very vulnerable to illness. Vaccines can help prevent the spread of contagious disease to these individuals (CDC). These individuals rely on herd immunity to prevent contraction of

For thousands of years, diseases have taken the lives of millions of people, wiping out towns and spreading across countries. Disease like the measles, mumps, whooping cough, chicken pox and hepatitis are just a few of the diseases that can be prevented through the use of vaccinations. Though vaccines do not make the bacteria that caused the disease to go away, it helps control the outbreaks within societies, keeping children from getting sick and preventing death. Without the prevention from vaccines, the bacteria from those diseases will start to flourish resulting in the outbreaks within communities. Herd immunity is when the majority of a 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.

Since effective widespread immunizations have been accomplished, incidences of diseases have been significantly reduced. These diseases include smallpox, diphtheria,

Herd immunity is a form of immunity that happens when a high portion of a population has been vaccinated. It protects those that have not developed

Herd immunity is also known as (community immunity). This is when a large portion of a community is immunized to most contagious disease, most members of the community are protected against diseases so there is little opportunity of an outbreak. Even people who are not vaccinated like some infants, pregnant women get some protection because the spread of contagious disease is not a threat . All vaccines do have risks however the benefits outway the risks. Children need to be vaccinated to protect them against life threatening diseases. If a child get vaccinate most have short term mild side effects, such as fever, rash, redness and swelling at the injection site.

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)

For those who are in support of the anti-vaccination movement, their reasons are reasonable to a degree. Many people feel that the risks of vaccines are far too costly to risk their child’s lives for. The CDC put out a statement claiming that all vaccines carry a risk of life-threatening allergic reactions in about on

Ragan & Duffy (2012, p.23) have also shown high immunization rates have resulted in a substantial decline in vaccine preventable diseases, particularly vaccination has eliminated smallpox worldwide. In addition, in a study by Bawah, Phillips, Adjuik & smith et al (2010, p.95) found that vaccination has resulted in a large and statistically significant reduction child mortality. The risk of dying for children younger than five who are fully immunized is reduced by more than 70% compared with those who are not immunized or partially immunized. Moreover, research by Dawson (2011, p.1032) also suggests that vaccination is a vital intervention in reducing illness and death rates in children and he estimated approximately 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year by vaccination. In addition to personal immunity Vaccination programs also bring herd immunity which ensures even greater protection for the community from communicable diseases. The level of vaccination required to provide herd immunity varies with virulence and transmissibility as well as vaccine efficacy. While vaccinating