World Immunization Week – Importance of Getting Vaccinated

World Immunization Week – Importance of Vaccines

Brief Description and History

This is World Immunization Week. This article hopes to raise awareness that there are many diseases that can stop spreading if only people had their vaccines. Providing enough vaccines is an issue, as well as funding for the world population to receive treatment.

Historically, scientists and researchers who create vaccines are heroes, with many of them being applauded for scientific achievement with some of them even winning Nobel Peace Prizes. In 1954, Jonas Salk created the vaccine for polio. Since his vaccine was created, polio has been eradicated from the United States. It would be almost unheard of for a child to be diagnosed with polio today, but it does happen. Some people are choosing not to vaccinate their kids. This leaves children susceptible to disease, and perhaps even death. This is why schools do not let children attend unless they have all of their vaccines up to date.

Recently, the Ebola Vaccine has been in the works. This vaccine hopes to rid the disease that originated in Western Africa and currently kills 80% of the people it comes in contact with.

How Do Vaccines Benefit Me and Others?

Vaccines are not only beneficial to those who receive them, but also to those who for some reason choose not to. The higher amount of people who are vaccinated, the lower chance, virtually 0, that they will spread any of the diseases they were vaccinated for. Vaccines save billions upon billions of dollars in otherwise necessary treatment.

Vaccines can essentially be thought of as preventative measures against illness and death. This would lower the cost of government, epidemic, and foreign aid needed to treat people who are sick. There is no reason to not get vaccinated.

Vaccines Currently on the Market

There are many vaccines currently on the market, and even some still in research. The common ones that are given include cervical cancer, diptheria, Hepatitis B, measels, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella, pertussis, tetanus and a few others. Vaccines are a clear hallmark of the ingenuity of scientific researchers within the 20th and 21st centuries.

Final Thoughts

Do you feel as though you are educated on the importance of vaccines? Did you already know all the ways in which vaccines benefit our communities and the world? Will you spread awareness for World Immunization Week? Remember that vaccines are not an issue as some skeptics have linked it to autism, which has no scientific support to back up these accusations. Feel free to make any comments/suggestions in the comment section!