Immunization provides direct and effective protection against preventable diseases, and hence it is one of the most cost effective public health interventions. Vaccines are preventing 2-3 million deaths due to diphtheria, pertussis(whooping cough) tetanus and measles worldwide. WHO launched the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI) in 1974 against 6 vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) namely, diphtheria, polio, tuberculosis, pertussis, measles and tetanus. Government of India introduced EPI in 1978, which was later changed to Universal Immunization Program (UIP) in 1985.
In reality, the aim with which UIP started, that is to reduce burden of VPDs, is only partially achieved. VPDs are still responsible for around 5, 00,000 deaths in India out of the total 1.5 million deaths in world. India is one of the countries with lowest immunization coverage in the world. According to data from National Family Health Survey 2005-06 (NFHS 3), only 43.5% of children aged between 12-23 months were fully vaccinated. (Fully immunized child is the one who has completed the recommended schedule of BCG, DPT, 3 doses of OPV and measles vaccine before 1 year of age) According to UNICEF coverage evaluation survey 2009, 61% of children between age 12-23 months were fully immunized in India and 7.6% of same age children did not receive any vaccination. The same survey also reports that drop- out rates were also significantly high and differed for different vaccines. Drop- out rate for BCG-DPT3 was 18%,
Throughout history, vaccinations have been used to help the prevention of infectious diseases; some of which can produce serious illnesses, crippling disabilities, and ultimately be the cause of death. There is evidence of ancient culture’s attempting to treat transmittable diseases with various forms of inoculations. Developments in the research of vaccinations increased during the mid-twentieth century because of the established of more advanced laboratories, improved equipment, and new innovations. The progression of medicine during history has helped further the development of research into vaccinations. Several cultural, ethical, and religious issues have resulted from the development and use of vaccinations in our society. The topic of vaccinations has caused a strong debate amongst our culture about the safety and danger of treating infectious diseases with such methods.
The issue regarding vaccinations and their accompanying side effects has been a prevalent debate throughout society and medicine for a number of years. Some continue to believe that vaccinations are harmful and actually promote disease, but the truth is that the concept of immunization is one of the most significant advances in scientific history that has led to the prevention of countless diseases and epidemics throughout the world. Still, despite the overall improvement of public health, the usage of vaccinations remains a controversial concern that is constantly challenged. Vaccination critics argue that the serious side effects associated with vaccines have been underreported, underfunded, and rarely researched. This, however, is
Vaccines are one of most successful and cost effective public health preventive tool in current century for preventing communicable diseases. According to UK Health Protection Agency (HPA), vaccination is the second most effective public health intervention worldwide. Immunization protects the individual as well the community from serious diseases. Since the implementation of immunization there has been a 95% reduction in the cases 4. According to WHO immunization prevented 2million deaths worldwide.
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).
The idea of increasing the rate of vaccinating children at an early age during the twentieth century is what makes it unquestionable. A lot of diseases such as poliomyelitis, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B have been killing infants and causing a rising percentage in the infantile mortality. Some of the diseases such as polio, and diphtheria have been discarded completely while other diseases have not. However, vaccination has helped due to the fact that it has been contributing to decreasing the effect of the disease. For instance,
Immunizations are essential components in the primary and preventive care setting to ensure a healthier population. Immunizations are aimed to prevent illnesses such as Tetanus, Diphtheria, Varicella, Hepatitis A, Influenza and Pneumonia to mention a few. Upon their discovery and implementation, vaccines have aid to decrease the incidence of infectious diseases, which were once the leading causes of death in the country and around the world. Despite their validated benefits; amongst the adult population, there are existing misconceptions related to immunization usefulness and effectiveness resulting in an unacceptably low adult vaccination rates and unmet vaccine recommendations. Consequently, leading to approximately 40,000-50,000 preventable death and an increased spread of communicable illnesses("Adult Immunization:
“In 2011 alone, 1.5 million children died [worldwide] from diseases preventable by currently recommended vaccines” (“Immunization” 2). The magnitude of this tragedy is in part caused by the fact that some of those children simply weren’t reached by organizations like UNICEF, which aim to vaccinate children (“Immunization” 2). However, there are other reasons for the recent deaths and epidemics—such as the whooping cough epidemic of 2012, with 48,000 cases nationally in the United States—involving vaccine preventable diseases (McClay 1).
Vaccinations for common illnesses and disease have been around since the early 1900s. They seem like they would be a very common practice amongst common people because they are used to prevent said illnesses. Well, for a lot of parents in America, this is not the case. The MMR vaccination came about when the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccines were all combined (Cave 54). After the release of this new vaccination, the number of kids being diagnosed with autism rose tremendously. Some people were very interested in this sudden spike of autistic children and decided to follow up on it. Many studies were done to see if there was any correlation between the MMR vaccination and the increasing diagnosis of children with autism. Some findings contradict one another. What I believe is that there is no statistical evidence to prove that there is a correlation between the administering of the MMR vaccination and the autism diagnosis increase associated with those who have received the MMR vaccine. Many bold claims have been made over the years and some of them have been rather controversial, others have been more accurate.
Vaccinations are considered to be the greatest health development of the 20th century. Because of advancements in medicine, vaccinations are becoming a widespread medium in the prevention of disease. They have provided the eradication and immunity to many deadly diseases such as smallpox, polio and rubella. Although there is no law that mandates the vaccination of children, they are necessary to prevent the infliction of disease and harm. By making the decision to vaccinate their children, a parent has the potential to save their lives.
Introduction: Public health achievements in the areas of vaccinations to prevent disease, disease prevention and control, laws to limit the consumption of tobacco, maternal and infant health, and cardiovascular disease are achievements on their own. With public health, improvements in one area often have an effect on a different area of public health. Improvements in vaccinations, for example, will improve maternal and infant health as a reduced number of mothers and infants will fall ill from diseases preventable by vaccination. In addition, vaccinations control the spread of infectious disease, and reduce the incidence rate of the disease in a population.
Some of the evidence provided from literature does support the effectiveness of the policy based on the criteria. The policy is considered effective if greater than the U.S. average of 68% of infants or greater than 95% kindergarteners are fully immunized in Mississippi. According to the evidence found, The vaccination compliance rate for kindergarteners in Mississippi was greater than 99.7% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The second criterion of effectiveness is fewer than two cases of measles, mumps, pertussis, varicella, and invasive Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) are reported in Mississippi. The evidence from the Mississippi Department of Health supports this criteria
Frequent vaccination has protected the unimmunized population throw the herd immunity resulting in lower childhood death rate and morbidity in the global population. However, parental trust in the safety and efficacy of the immunization programmes has been eroded by the various contradictory reports that emphasise the side effects of immunization and are ongoing barriers in accessing immunization hugely affect vaccination accomplishments. Vaccination is evidently identified as a greatest means of controlling infectious disease and it will continue to be the essential tool in controlling infection. Clearly, there is no doubt that immunization has hugely reduced the incidence and mortality of infection diseases in global context and should be continued and expanded until this disease have been eliminated completely. Therefore, future research must evaluate the claims against vaccination as quickly as possible to allay doubt spreading and policy makers should create new vaccination schedules which present evidence based statements regarding the safety and importance of
During the 20th century, the infectious disease death rate decreased from 800/1000 deaths to less than 100/1000 deaths. This is mainly due to the introduction of immunisation. Vaccination has clearly prevented millions of deaths over the last century; nevertheless, the anti-vaccination movement has grown significantly in recent years. Some of the reasons why people join this movement include the belief that vaccines don’t actually work, the belief that vaccines are unnatural and therefore unhealthy and the belief that vaccines contain toxins that cause bodily damage and neuropsychiatric problems (eg. Autism). This essay will discredit the beliefs associated with the anti vaccination movement through infectious disease statistics,
With immunization, a country’s growth can be boosted, as immunization makes economic sense. Though there are some challenges in being able to vaccinate all target children, UNICEF has made major initiatives and major progress.