In the past several years, news coverage has focused on several high-profile dis

Question

In the past several years, news coverage has focused on several high-profile disease outbreaks involving pathogens against which much of the population has been vaccinated. Discuss how those who are NOT vaccinated may be potentially putting those who ARE vaccinated at risk of developing disease. In your discussion, include a description of community immunity, how vaccinations protect us from disease, and some of the shortfalls of vaccines. do not upload a handwritten response. No cursive handwriting. Typed text only. Do not copy and post from the web.

Explanation / Answer

Vaccines can prevent some of the major ,serious and fatal diseases be it Measles, Small pox, Hepatitis or more. The higher number of people of a region/community that are vaccinated, less is the risk of people not vaccinated getting the disease since a reduced probability of spreading the disease is there. These people who cannot be vaccinated could include infants, immune suppressed individuals, or people with a specific disease. Immunized population would serve to protect these persons from the specific diseases for which vaccination has been done.

For herd immunity to be effective, vaccinations rates should be higher, about >90%. If the immunization rates fall, the risk of spread of the vaccine preventable disease increases many fold , posing a higher risk to the not vaccinated community. The community immunity thereby stands compromised since vaccines are not 100% effective. As the community immunity starts getting affected, the rate of spread of the disease too starts increasing, even in the vaccinated individuals.

Vaccines mostly contain an attenuated bacterial/viral organsim that helps develope antibodies to fight the particular strain when administered. Most vaccines are safe,causing mild fever or soreness in arms/limbs/location where administered.Only a few instances have been reported where a vaccine has led to a severe condition ,more so in immune compromised persons.

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