The Herd Immunity

Those who cannot be vaccinated or for whom vaccines are not effective rely on the concept of “herd immunity” to protect themselves; it is a social responsibility to get vaccinated in order to protect the rest of the population. There are many people in Canada who are completely unable to be vaccinated– people without a fully-functioning immune system, people undergoing chemotherapy treatment, people with HIV, newborn babies, and the elderly. However, when a certain portion of a community is immunized against a contagious disease, the other members of the community are protected against that disease because of “herd immunity”– if 95% of the population is vaccinated, the disease cannot spread

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.

In healthcare, we are seeing an influx of children with diseases that were once eradicated by vaccinations. It does not help that in recent years many public figures, be it actors or politicians, have begun speaking out about the effects vaccinations potentially have on children. Whether they have done the proper research or not, their fame and notoriety brings about attention that most would not. So, what does the increase in non-vaccinated children mean to the rest of those that accepted the vaccinations. A closer look at immunizations for adults and children, the herd immunity that is in jeopardy, and the culture and reasoning of the anti-vaccination group may shed some light on the culture of anti-vaccination.

Diseases will always travel throughout the world and it will continue to affect children severely if they are not vaccinated. One source known as Benefits from Immunization During the Vaccines for Children Program Era pointed out that the number of children born each year can be prevented, “Approximately 4 million children are born in the United States each year, each of whom is vulnerable to vaccine-preventable pathogens that continue to circulate” (Whitney, Zhou, Singleton and Schuchat 4). The number of children born each year can have an enormous impact on society, there can be a massive epidemic. People do not want their child to be exposed to these deadly infectious disease, especially if they are preventable.

Due to the attention the anti-vaccination movement has received, many researchers have attempted to determine who is participating in the anti-vaccination movement. I am not the first to call for distinctions in children who were not fully-up-to-date (FUTD) on vaccines from those who are. Previous research on vaccination status has considered the children of “non vaccinators” as two distinct groups: undervaccinated and unvaccinated. Unlike selectively-vaccinated children, who intentionally were spared a particular vaccine, in much of this research undervaccinated children are identified as those who have inconsistent access to medical care (Reich 2014). Undervaccinated children are more likely to share particular demographic characteristics such as being below the poverty line, having a mother who is younger, unmarried, and has not attended college (Reich 2014; Smith 2004). This group is perceived to be unable, in most circumstances, to obtain the recommended vaccinations due to a wide variety of external factors. Undervaccinated children, in this sense, have been of particular interest to public health officials as they have attempted to implement programs to remove the cost of vaccines to increase availability (Smith et al. 2008). Undervaccination, like discussed earlier, has been reduced with the enactment of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program by the United States government (Whitney et al. 2014).

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

Vaccinations have been created to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases. When everyone, or even just a majority of the population, receives the vaccine, a phenomenon occurs called herd immunity. Herd immunity protects both the individuals who received the vaccine and those that could not: infants, elderly, HIV patients, and those with weakened or compromised immune systems (“Mandatory School Vaccinations: The Role of Tort Law”).

While a majority of people receive vaccines an increasing number of people are making the decision for themselves or children to reject a vaccine, this is compromising the concept of herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a large number of a community are vaccinated, which in case of an outbreak isolates the spread of the disease. As the majority of a community are unable to contract a disease, it prevents the disease from spreading which in turn protects people such as infants, pregnant women and those with weaker immune systems from contracting the disease. Considering the increasing number of people rejecting vaccines, the herd immunity principle could be threatened resulting in an increase of outbreaks; only those who have received

Vaccines have decreased the mortality and suffering caused by infectious diseases. People who refuse to vaccinate take advantage of the large majority of people who do vaccinate, free-riding off of their immunity. As more people refuse vaccination, herd immunity starts to fail and this puts everyone at risk.” A great amount of people in the world who accept refusal of vaccinations as a right. Believing vaccinations pose danger and seem unsafe, some parents choose not to vaccinate their children. They do not realize if their children do not get vaccinated they may acquire an infectious disease that may not only make them sick, but could potentially kill them; also, it could infect other family members or other people in the community, and consequently produce an outbreak of the

Herd Immunity is the idea to determine whether vaccinating of a significant portion of a population (or

With all the diseases and virus 's spreading throughout our world, the issue of vaccinating children at a young age raises concerns. While some parents choose to vaccinate their children, others allow the human body and the immune system to take control of the situation. Over time, arguments have risen that the chemicals put into vaccinations can have harmful side effects and impacts on the human body if taken incorrectly. There are many similarities and differences seen between the two life style choices such as economic factors, the health benefits of both life choices, and the health risks of the two. All of these factors help families of today 's society determine how their children will be raised medically.

Both children and adults unable to be vaccinated (for reasons such as having a compromised immune system) have a right to immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases for an unvaccinated person is afforded through herd immunity, which is achieved when a certain percentage of the population is vaccinated (1). The right of a medical exemption to protection afforded by herd immunity may be considered to undermine the right to choose for parents and/or guardians; it is not a choice for the medical exemption to be unable to be vaccinated (1). However, some persons believe that vaccinations for diseases that are non-transmissible, such as tetanus, should indefinitely remain off the compulsory childhood vaccination schedule as the only person that benefits from that vaccine is the one receiving the vaccine (1). Remaining unvaccinated to a non-transmissible disease induces no harm to anyone other persons in the community or medical exemptions and a parent should reserve their right to non-compliance (1).

When children who have been vaccinated do contract a disease, despite being vaccinated against it, they usually have milder symptoms with less serious complications than an un-vaccinated child that gets the same disease. It is true that some children who receive vaccinations may still become ill when exposed to other disease-ridden children. Research shows that 70-90% of the entire population must be vaccinated to attain “herd immunity”, “the resistance of a group to attack by a disease to which a large proportion of the members are immune.” (Farlex, 2012) When herd immunity is accomplished the spread of the disease can be averted throughout. If all parents were to take proper responsibilities and keep their children’s immunizations up-to-date, herd immunity would be achieved against all 16 of the major life threatening diseases.

‘Herd immunity’ or ‘community immunity’ is a societal idea to protect those who are vulnerable to diseases (“Herd Immunity”). When access to vaccinations are limited, the ‘herd’ is more at risk to infection diseases. Since vaccinations were first used, in 1796, they have been a massive part of our history to prevent the spread of disease, been limited to wealthy countries, and those who are against them. Even today, access to vaccinations are very limited and continue to affect the population.

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)