Pros And Cons Of Tropical Diseases

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

The common factor in the previously mentioned military depictions is the external component: in all the listed metaphors and narrative conventions, the danger or risk is foreign – an alien element – intruding in a previously balanced and healthy organism (or society) and attacking it. As we determined previously, western societies were well aware of Ebola and its dangers but panic seems to have only struck once the disease made it overseas. Sociologist Deborah Lupton gives a rather adequate insight as to why this is: in her book entitled Risk, she found that people, by nature, tend to overestimate risk once it becomes more likely to happen to themselves (Lupton, 1999, p. 21). She adds that “risks that are seen to be rare but memorable tend to be overestimated while those that are considered to be common and

Measles is a viral disease that has symptoms of fever, sore throat, and skin rash. All though measles was not a fatal disease, there were still people in hospital beds that died from it. In 1920, poliomyelitis was another health common issues. Polio is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system and can cause

The various diseases for the cure for vaccinations are vastly differentiated. Many of the diseases have proven to be mild and in most cases deemed harmless, except in situational cases. It is difficult to substantiate taking the risk with any vaccinations when the risks are minimized. Alternatively some of these diseases today are just about extinct or declared rare by researchers. If your children are at a risk to being exposed to any of these diseases the chances are possibly 0%, that a vaccine can offer any additional protections. (Belkin 1999)

“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).

Since the early 1800’s vaccinations have been significant factors in eliminating many contagious diseases and, for the most part, have been an accepted part of preventative medicine in our nation. Veritably eradicating often fatal diseases such as smallpox, polio, and cholera, vaccinations have been vital in contributing to a healthier and more disease free world.

In the U.S. we like to think of many communicable diseases as extinct or eradicated.

Vaccine-preventable diseases have not disappeared, they are “only a plane ride away.” According to parents.com, “Just because a disease is lying low doesn 't mean it won 't return. History has shown that when vaccination rates drop, disease rates rise, no matter how rare the illness may have seemed. With the rise in international adoption and travel, serious illnesses are only a plane ride away.” Polio for example is not active in the United States, however, the virus is still active in other countries like Pakistan. This disease can show no symptoms and be easily passed from person to person. Other diseases that have “disappeared” have shown up in the United States as well. Diseases such as diphtheria which is very rare in the U.S. but still extremely active in Algeria, Egypt, Africa, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, and many more countries. Many people travel to these countries and bring the disease back with them. If you are not vaccinated, it is very easy to catch a disease from someone while traveling. These diseases are still very real and have not just simply gone away. According to Dr. Sawyer, "Until a disease is eliminated from the planet, we will have to continue immunizing

Eventually, the diseases are always around in some variety, but there is a "low incidence of infection…with the only susceptible individuals" are those "entering by birth," which is way diseases like measles and chick pox effect mostly the young, "or from outside." These individuals show higher rates of infection and death than those already living there amongst the diseases do. (Linton, 131,141) This is precisely what occurred to the natives of the New

Now, bring your mind back to this day in age and think of someone you may know with cancer or HIV. These are two infections that could one day have a vaccine for them. If this were available right now, wouldn’t you all want to go and get it? What if you could guarantee that one, small and inexpensive shot could save your life from whatever kind of cancer you are facing.

Many diseases have seen tremendously reduced cases since the synthesizing of their vaccinations. For instance, “More than 15,000 Americans died from diphtheria in 1921, before there was a vaccine. Only one case of diphtheria has been reported to CDC since 2004” (CDC.gov). Another example of this is “An epidemic of rubella (German measles) 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” (CDC.gov). Vaccines are constantly being developed to help save lives from disease, and so far have saved millions of lives all over the world. Tetanus, mumps, and measles shots are major examples of life saving vaccines; death rates due to these diseases have decreased dramatically since their

In most first world countries disease outbreaks are rather uncommon, that is because we have access to vaccines that keep

Now, many once-forgotten diseases are reappearing. TIME Magazine reported that “In 2014, the U.S. experienced a major outbreak of measles that totaled 383 cases and was primarily spreading among an unvaccinated Amish community in Ohio.” (Measles Outbreak) The number of cases of these diseases is going up when it can be easily prevented. Worldwide, “Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.” (World Health

Another claim against immunization is personal opposition to big pharmaceutical companies. Some believe vaccines are charged to patients solely for profit. This pharmaceutical profit-motive can call into question product safety and integrity. The overwhelming majority of vaccines are not highly profitable though (Lam). Due to the massive investment of time and funds required to create vaccines, coupled with only marginal returns on this investment, pharmaceutical corporations do not focus on them. As result, nonprofit health organizations and political agencies such as the CDC, and the WHO, generally lead the charge in vaccine development. It is a real danger that companies will stop developing vaccines altogether (Lam). Drug companies instead concentrate on well, drugs. Continuous treatment medications require patients to purchase repeatedly, until it is no longer necessary. (In some cases, patients may even take certain drugs until death.) The time interval of vaccinations is, at the very least, yearly. In the case of the flu, rather than one flu shot, pharmaceutical companies can profit more from selling antivirals, painkillers, and a host of other treatments to patients that contract viral sickness. Medications, rather than cures are economically desirable. As a biochemistry student myself, upon graduating I face the decision between conducting decent paying scientific research or developing pharmaceuticals with the opportunity of making upwards of $200,000 a year for

Malaria is one of the ten most common, yet deadly diseases in the world. It is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of Anopheles mosquito, which is active between dusk and dawn. Malaria occurs in over 100 countries and territories.