Vaccinations: A Clear Benefit Essay

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).

Research done by the Centres for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) has shown that the MMR vaccine, or the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, is 93% effective against measles after one dosage, and 97% effective after two doses. Moreover, the Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine is shown to be 98% effective after two doses, and the hepatitis B vaccine is shown to be over 90% effective in infants, children and adults alike. Despite the fact that the aforementioned vaccines aren’t 100 percent effective, their high success rates still prove that vaccines are extremely effective, thus making them essential to maintaining children’s

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:

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)

Vaccinations are one of the most notable scientific break thoughts in primary health care history. It is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of disease in the community. The safety and outcomes of the immunisation programs can be seen in the scientific research, health of the community and in society as a whole. Vaccination programs have been the cornerstone of preventative healthcare

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

Although the topic of vaccines and completing all recommended vaccine series can sometimes be difficult for some parents to comprehend, proper education and evidence based research can facilitate the goal of vaccinating children as adequately as possible. In recent years, the number of vaccines has increased. Children who are not immunized can readily transmit vaccine-preventable diseases throughout

were common. Prior to the first licensed measles vaccine in 1963, hundreds of thousands of measles cases were reported annually in the U.S. In 1958 alone, there were more than 750,000 cases. A decade later, in 1968, that number fell to about 22,000, according to an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I wish to explain some common misconceptions involving vaccines moreover, provide some information as to why everyone should be properly vaccinated as it is my personal opinion that they’re an indispensable medical practice. Not only have vaccines greatly improved medical technology, but also the overall health of citizens, and have almost prevented some very lethal diseases from killing the population.

The most effective way to protect a person against many diseases, such as measles, pertussis, polio, and chickenpox, is to get vaccinated. Doctors and scientists all over the world highly recommend vaccines and, being that they have spent years studying health, their recommendations stand reliable. Omer Saad, a professor and researcher who has been involved in many projects on vaccinations in foreign countries, believes that “vaccines are among the most effective tools available for preventing infectious diseases” (1). The implementation of this technology has brought huge decreases in disease rates. Correspondingly, The University of Pittsburgh has conducted research on infectious disease statistics since 1888 and found that over 103 million cases of life threatening diseases have been prevented since 1924 (Welch 2). The Journal of the American Medical Association also found dramatic drops in infections and deaths associated with chickenpox, polio, and diphtheria and attributes these decreases to vaccine technology (Welch 2).

During the 19th century, despite clear evidence of protection against smallpox by immunization with cowpox, there was a strong anti-vaccination movement that resulted in ongoing smallpox outbreaks and unnecessary deaths (Poland & Jacobson, 2011). Between the 1940s and the early 1980s, anti-vaccine thinking was less prevalent. The reason for this was because of a number of trends. There was an increase in vaccine science, discovery, and production. There was also an increase in public awareness of widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases. With

Vaccinating your child can help be a preventative measure against serious diseases that are not fully extinct yet. One example of a preventable disease is the increase in whooping cough outbreak that was reported recently. 28,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in 2014 and 2012 was a record year with more than 48,000 cases. Almost all of the deaths were babies younger than 3 months of age, who are too young to be fully protected against whooping cough through vaccines. Another disease that is fully preventable with the help of vaccination are the measles. Measles is still fairly common in many parts of the world, like Europe, Asia, and Africa. Measles is unfortunately

The possible side effects of hepatitis B, pertussis, pneumococcal disease and rotavirus may be alarming, but they highly outweigh the effects of the actual disease. “About one of every 600,000 doses of hepatitis B vaccine is complicated by a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis” (The Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks). No one has ever died from the hepatitis vaccination, but the symptoms of anaphylaxis- hives, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea- can be quite frightening (Mayo Clinic). During the polio epidemic of 1952, “of the 58,000 cases reported that year 3,145 died and 21,269 were left with mild to disabling paralysis” (History). After Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccination in 1955, the number of polio victims dropped to nine hundred and ten. In addition to this claim, vaccines save the lives of many who could have died from vaccine-preventable

Research by Bigham & Hoefer (2001, p. 175) shows the significant effectiveness and high degree of safety associated with immunization for diseases including Hib, measles and rubella all of which have been reduced by 90% or more and polio was close to 100%.