Human Evolution Technology

Many infectious diseases that once quickly spread and easily killed have been controlled or eradicated due to vaccinations. The efficacy of vaccines in reducing morbidity and mortality, particularly in children, is undeniable. Per the World Health Organization, childhood vaccinations prevent approximately 2-3 million deaths per year worldwide (WHO, 2016). In the United States, the value of immunizations is clearly displayed by comparing pre-vaccine era morbidity/mortality rates to post-vaccine era in regards to vaccine-preventable diseases. For example, prior to the diphtheria vaccine in the 1920’s, 206,000 people annually contracted the disease resulting in 15,520 deaths (History of Vaccines, 2009). However, between 2004 and 2014, only

Despite significant progress in the fight against preventable disease, millions still die needlessly each year. According to UNICEF, originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a vaccine preventable disease is responsible for 2 million fatal infections worldwide each year. About 75% of these deaths occur in children under five years of age. (N) In more vivid terms, UNICEF notes that vaccine-preventable diseases kill a child every 20 seconds. (D) Due to high rates of childhood vaccination, the United States has experienced a dramatic reduction in such deaths. A comparison of the years 1950 and 2010 clearly illustrates the benefits of vaccinations. During this 60-year period, deaths from diphtheria reduced from 410 to 0, tetanus from 336 to 3, pertussis from 1,118 to 26, and polio from 1,904 to 0. Measles deaths dropped from 468 in 1950 to 0 in 2008, the last year a United States death rate was recorded. It’s not surprising that vaccinations have been touted as one of the top ten health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the United States had also been dealing with disease and plague throughout the years. In 1921, America experienced an infectious disease known as diphtheria. This disease attacks the tissues of the body, often affecting the tonsils and throat. Before vaccines, diphtheria killed fifteen-thousand americans. Due to the amount of casualties, a vaccine was created. The CDC website states, “Only two cases of diphtheria have been reported to the CDC between 2004 and 2014” (“stopped vaccinations”, 2017). The institute also found data to suggest that more than a hundred Americans would die from measles before a vaccine was created. Today, most doctors have not seen a case of measles due to the vaccination. Additionally, vaccines have helped protect babies from a disease called rubella. Rubella is a German smallpox that comes from a virus and has distinctive rash. In the mid 1960s, rubella killed more than two-thousand babies and infected over twelve million Americans. The deadly disease also cause eleven-thousand miscarriages. Since the creation of the rubella vaccine, the CDC reported fifteen cases since 2012 (“stopped vaccinations”, 2017). Diseases have taken and affected billions of lives around the world. Fortunately, there have been scientists to create vaccines in order to protect and prevent any further spread. Even though there are vaccines available, there are still

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

Vaccines have the potential to eradicate diseases. Vaccines completely destroyed smallpox in the United States. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1948. The author quotes the UNICEF who states, “There were 500 cases of polio in 2014 worldwide, down from 350,000

Since vaccines were invented 1924, vaccinations have prevented 103 million cases of polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and pertussis (Welch, 2014, ¶10).

One of the greatest achievements of public health is that of vaccinations (Dubé et al., 2013).

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

For many years ago, children had suffered deadly diseases. Diseases like rubella, measles, diphtheria, smallpox, whooping cough and polio were to a certain point in time, deemed incurable. Since the evolution of vaccines, these diseases have been largely prevented, and many children’s lives were saved.

In a recent analysis, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in the United States, the vaccination of children between 1994 and 2013 will prevent over 300 million illnesses and save approximately $1.4 trillion in future societal costs ("Should Any Vaccines", 2015). For this reason, vaccines were considered one of the ten great public health achievements in the United States ("Ten Great Public", 2011). By and large, Americans live their lives free of many of the communicable diseases that caused great hardships in the past (Ehreth, 2003). Over the past ten years however, questions concerning the safety and the best number of injections of recommended vaccines have some experts worried about the continued success

Numerous diseases that used to be widespread in the U.S. are now nearly eliminated. “An epidemic of rubella in 1964-65 infected 12½ million Americans, killed 2,000 babies, and caused 11,000 miscarriages. In 2012, 9 cases of rubella were reported to CDC.” (What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?) Another disease that prevailed before its vaccine was polio, as you can see in this graph. The red line shows when the polio vaccine was introduced. In 2014, CNN reported that “Just five years ago, India was home to nearly half the global polio cases and considered one of the most technically difficult places to eradicate the disease, because of sanitation challenges and high-density population. India has been certified polio-free by the World Health Organization after going three years without an endemic case of polio. The eradication of polio in India is heralded as one of the biggest achievements in global health efforts.” (Madison Park) However, this isn’t the only success story, these are the percent decreases of before and after certain vaccines were introduced in the U.S. Here, diphtheria has a 100 percent decrease in the U.S after its vaccine was introduced. From 21,000 cases of diphtheria, there are now ZERO endemic cases in the U.S. What about measles? Before its vaccine, there were roughly 530,000 cases each year in

Abstract evolution has occurred in humans for millions of years; however, in a modern society many scientists and evolutionists are now debating whether or not it is still occurring, and if it follows the same rules. With all of the new technology humans have created, some experts believe that humans have essentially conquered nature, and no further evolutionary changes will occur. Still, others hold opposing views; some experts believe that evolution is still occurring, but modern societal advancements have changed the rules. These experts say that the changes in evolution are a result of recent medical advancements that allow doctors to perpetuate genes that would not have lasted years ago. Additionally, others maintain that evolution is

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

In humanity, as in all of life, the most successful traits in producing offspring will also become the most prevalent. There is a belief that because we no longer fight for our survival, we will no longer evolve. Evolution, however, has no goal or foresight. Though we have seized the need to fight, and have triumphed to the top of the animal food chain, we continue to change and develop by whatever is most successful for production. This could be beneficial, but could also have detrimental effects. This paper will discuss these positive and negative possibilities, as well as how technology could greatly alter our evolutionary path.

In developed nations, vaccines have almost exterminated polio and smallpox and tightly controlled diseases like hepatitis A and B or typhus