In some U.S. communities, 3 to 40 percent of children are unvaccinated or undervaccinated.
Average life expectancy in the U.S. has increased exponentially over the last century. The earliest settlers were lucky to celebrate their 30th birthday. Their most common cause of death? . An inability to prevent or treat disease resulted in pandemics – times when up to hundreds of thousands of people became infected simultaneously and died. Even with diseases that never sparked huge outbreaks, infection remained a common cause of death.
As the medical community learned more about the immune system, they uncovered major tools to prevent disease. The most significant advancement? Vaccines.
The first successful vaccine was discovered and refined by Edward Jenner in 1796 to fight and eventually eradicate smallpox, a deadly scourge that left many survivors disfigured. Intense research brought many more vaccines, effectively wiping out other diseases, such as diphtheria. In fact, vaccines have proved so effective that many of us would not even recognize the symptoms of these diseases if a family member were to come down with them today. The medical community regards vaccines as one of the greatest boons to human health that research has delivered to date, and scientists are still working feverishly to develop new vaccines to fight the emerging diseases of our times, including Ebola .
Recently, however, the use of vaccination as a disease prevention strategy has been called into question. The latest measles outbreak around the country has sparked a national debate about required vaccinations. The concept of personal choice has been invoked by parents . On the other side of the aisle are those in the field of public health, who know all too well the threat that vaccine-preventable diseases can pose to society when they are allowed to re-enter our communities.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of vaccinations is their power to confer herd immunity. When enough of a population receives and reacts to a vaccine by making antibodies that block the germ from taking hold and causing illness, the disease activity in a community slows way down, minimizing opportunities for outbreak. This is especially important in protecting our people who cannot have a vaccine or do not react to a vaccine. Young babies, the elderly and people whose immune systems do not work well often are susceptible to diseases for which they have not been vaccinated. When the rest of the community , we can cocoon the vulnerable and keep them healthy.
So far, the has sickened more than 160 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The majority of these infections, around 70 percent, have been directly linked to the first case at Disneyland, meaning that someone who encountered that case then spread it to those they came in contact with; those folks then spread it to anyone they met who was unvaccinated and so forth until many people were ill.
The reasons for rapid spread are numerous. Measles is highly contagious. Each person who has the disease could easily infect 90 percent of the people they encounter who are not vaccinated. Because measles can mimic many other viral illnesses, it can spread before diagnosis is clear. Even when patients seek help, many health care providers today have never seen a case of measles, which could delay diagnosis, resulting in even more spread. Treatment, as is true with most viral illnesses, is only supportive – rest, hydration, fever control. The virus has to run its course and can be contagious as long as the patient shows symptoms.
So, measles is a virus and will run its course. No problem, right? Not necessarily without significant risks. One-quarter of patients with measles , and even now, with state-of-the-art medical facilities and care, about 0.2 percent of patients will have serious complications such as brain inflammation or encephalitis, deafness or death.