Disease prevention is the key to public
health. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it. Vaccines
prevent disease in the people who receive them and protect those who come into
contact with unvaccinated individuals. Vaccines help prevent infectious
diseases and save lives. Vaccines are responsible for the control of many
infectious diseases that were once common in this country, including polio,
measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles),
mumps, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (CDC, 2009).
UNICEF promotes the worldwide use of
immunization and vitamin A supplementation as effective means of achieving
international goals: one-third reduction of the under-five mortality rates by
2010 and the Millennium Development Goal of two-thirds reduction in under-five
mortality by 2015.
I am a strong supporter of vaccines and
immunizations. I believe that we must do everything we can to keep children
safe and healthy. I know that there are questions about whether or not
immunizations cause a range of physical and mental complications.
It is sad that there are so many
children that die every year in third world countries due to no funding and no
means of getting the vaccines or the people to administer them to the children.
I am posting below my resources and
extra resources for anyone that would like more information.
Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (2009). Vaccines and Immunizations. Retrieved
from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm
from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm
Hi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information on immunizations. I most recently heard of some parents not wanting to get vaccinations for their children, because they were fearful of physical and mental disabilities. Some doctors are giving notice to their parents, to get vaccines or find another doctor to treat their children. As a parent it is a difficult decision, but I couldn't risk putting other children's lives at risk.