Vaccination And Public Health

In the twentieth century alone, smallpox killed approximately 300 million people (“History” par. 6). With the staggering amount of deaths, it was considered one of the worst worldwide epidemics to ever happen. Since 1979, however, there has not been a reported case of the smallpox disease. How was it controlled? The World Health Organization made a concentrated effort to support an intense vaccination campaign that eliminated the smallpox disease (Merino 13). Yet recently, a government employed scientist cleaning out a refrigerated storage room stumbled upon a box containing multiple vials filled with the smallpox virus. The National Institute of Health (NIH) in Maryland, where the discovery was made, had no record of the box or its contents,
Vaccinations play a key role by preventing the spread of contagious diseases. That is, “an infectious disease communicable by contact with one who has it, with a bodily discharge of such a patient, or with an object touched by such a patient or by bodily discharge.” Thereby, reducing the amount of those who get sick and the amount of those who get sick and die (“Contagious” par. 1). The proof is in the facts; vaccinations do have a significant impact. Two great examples demonstrating the effectiveness of vaccines are the Haemophilus Influenzae type b vaccine (Hib) - which helps prevent meningitis - and the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV). Established in 1990, the Hib vaccine was brought into the United States to reduce the number of those affected and deaths as a result of this disease. Before the vaccination was developed, an estimated 15,000 cases and 400 to 500 deaths occurred at a constant rate for decades. However, after the Hib vaccine came to light, the number of cases was reduced to less than 50 per year. Additionally, Polio caused approximately 13,000 to 20,000 people to become paralyzed and 1,000 to die each year in the United States. Polio continued to attack children and adults, climaxing in 1952 with 21,000 cases and multiple deaths. Finally, in 1955 Jonas Salk and his team of researchers developed a vaccine consisting of the dead Polio virus, or what is now known as IPV. After the introduction of IPV, the number of cases dropped rapidly (Offit and Bell, Vaccine; “Vaccines” par. 2-3). “Today, Polio has been eliminated from the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere, although it remains a threat in some countries” (“Vaccines” par. 4). This vaccine removes another threat to public health in the United