Medical technology has greatly affected human evolution over the years due to recent discoveries and enhancements. Some of the main effects it has had on human evolution are the curing of diseases, living longer, and reproducing later. This report will discuss how and why medical technology has been developed, how it affects human evolution in the past, present and future. In the past many lives ended due to there being a lack in medical technology and knowledge. But over time, generation after generation, knowledge was passed down and medical technology advanced each time to help fight against illnesses and saving people from serious injuries, etc. Medical technology has immensely affected the evolution of humans.
Human advancement is the
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Thousands kicked the bucket each year from them. As immunizations were created and turned out to be broadly utilized, rates of these diseases declined until today a great number of them are about gone from the world. (Denson, 2015) In 1921, more than 15,000 Americans died because of diphtheria before there was immunizations. Now only one instance of diphtheria has been accounted for to the CDC since 2004. An epidemic of rubella (German measles) in 1964-1965 contaminated 2 and a half million Americans, slaughtered 2,000 infants, and brought about 11,000 premature deliveries. (Denson, 2015) In 2012, just 9 instances of rubella were accounted for to the CDC. This is also shown by the average future towards the start of the twentieth century was 47.3 years. After a century, that number has expanded to 77.85 years, because of the improvement of immunizations and different medicines for deadly illnesses. Regardless of the achievement of immunizations, only one of these disease, smallpox, has been eradicated from the globe. (Denson, 2015) As a result of antibodies, 12 lethal sicknesses can be cured including the chicken pox, diphtheria, Invasive H. influenza, Malaria, Pneumococcal infections, polio, typhoid fever, Yellow fever and smallpox. Immunizations is one of the best leaps forward in improving modern medicine. No other medicinal intercession has accomplished more to save lives and enhance the quality of life. (Denson,
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
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
In the late 1800s disease such as the measles, chicken pox, typhoid, and fever were deemed incurable because no vaccines were available, but thanks to the advance of technology vaccines came to existence helping eliminate the effects of these disease. People who were infected with one of the listed diseases above has a low survival rate because there were no vaccines help eliminate and deter harmful disease from enhancing harm to the human body. Vaccines have also helped stop the spread of viruses that can cause serious health problems if not dealt with in a timely manner.
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
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 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
Since effective widespread immunizations have been accomplished, incidences of diseases have been significantly reduced. These diseases include smallpox, diphtheria,
One of the greatest achievements of public health is that of vaccinations (Dubé et al., 2013).
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.
Throughout history, as the population grew, there have been outbreaks of disease causing many deaths because there were no cures and the diseases were infectious and spread rapidly. We begin our history of vaccines and immunization in the United States with the story of Edward Jenner, a country doctor living in Berkeley who in 1796 performed the first modern vaccination for smallpox, saving his community and many more to come.(why italics) Although the first known vaccines for smallpox are believed to have been used in China in the year 1000 AD, proving that this disease has been in existence for hundreds of years, it is interesting to note that smallpox is now considered eradicated. The last case in the United States was in 1948 and the last case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. Since vaccinations have become more available there have been fewer incidences of disease outbreaks in communities and childhood mortality rates have dropped considerably.(ProCon.org,2015)
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
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
In developed nations, vaccines have almost exterminated polio and smallpox and tightly controlled diseases like hepatitis A and B or typhus
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).
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.