Several diseases such as diptheria and polio are becoming more and more rare in the United States. This can be attributed to vaccinating against them. With the occurrences of such diseases becoming very diminished, it is reasonable to question the need to continue vaccinations.
However, because we are seeing less and less of these diseases, it doesn’t mean that these diseases don’t exist anymore. Consider the following report from the Center for Disease Control:
In 1974, Japan had a successful pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination program, with nearly 80% of Japanese children vaccinated. That year only 393 cases of pertussis were reported in the entire country, and there were no deaths from pertussis. But then rumors began to spread that pertussis vaccination was no longer needed and that the vaccine was not safe, and by 1976 only 10% of infants were getting vaccinated. In 1979 Japan suffered a major pertussis epidemic, with more than 13,000 cases of whooping cough and 41 deaths. In 1981 the government began vaccinating with acellular pertussis vaccine, and the number of pertussis cases dropped again.
If we discontinue vaccinations, we risk the comeback of several severe diseases with potential epidemic effects. We vaccinate to protect our future.
In addition to preventing a widespread epidemic of diseases, vaccinations also prevent serious health issues. Listed below are some of the common diseases that we have vaccinations for and some of the complications that may occur in extreme cases:
- Polio - Causes acute paralysis potentially leading to permanent physical disability and even death
- Measles - Can cause complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea or ear infections. Some develop encephalitis resulting in brain damage and can be fatal.
- Haemophilus Influenza Type B (Hib) Meningitis - Can lead to deafness, seizures or mental retardation in those who survive the disease.
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) - Can lead to dehydration, vomiting, pneumonia, seizures, brain disease and death in infants.
- Rubella (German Measles) - Usually mild, but 90% of infants born to infected mothers will develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), resulting in heart defects, cataracts, mental retardation and deafness.
- Varicella (Chicken Pox) - Can be severe in some leading to dehydration, pneumonia, and shingles. Can be fatal.
- Hepatitis B - Infants and children are at highest risk of developing life-long infection, which often leads to death from liver disease or liver cancer.
- Diptheria - Frequently causes heart and nerve problems and can be fatal.
- Tetanus (Lock Jaw) - Severe and often fatal. Leads to stiffness and spasms of the muscles. Can cause throat to close and fractures.
- Mumps - Can cause swelling of the brain, nerves, and spinal cord which can lead to paralysis, seizures, fluid in the brain, and deafness.
- Smallpox - Highly contagious and sometimes fatal. (There are no treatment options available for this disease and the only prevention is vaccination.)
- Influenza - Can cause mild to severe illness, and at occasionally death.
- Pneumococcal - Can result in meningitis or swelling of the brain, leading to seizures, deafness, or death.
- Human Pappilomavirus (HPV) - Most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. Can lead to cervical cancer in women and other less common cancers in men and women. Can result in infertility in women.
- Rotavirus - Can result in severe diarrhea and vomiting resulting in dehydration.
- Meningococcal - Causes an infection in the covering of the brain. Can also lead to infection in the blood. 10-15% of cases lead to death and 11-19% of survivors will lose limbs, become deaf, mentally retarded, or suffer seizures or strokes.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/why.html
http://www2.aap.org/immunization/families/whyimmunize.html
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