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How vaccination has helped to reduce or, in some cases, eradicate the spread of infectious diseases
Smallpox
In the late 18th century, British surgeon and physician, Edward Jenner, hypothesised that inoculation with cowpox could protect against smallpox.[3] Despite this, smallpox remained a deadly disease well into the 20th century, killing an estimated 300 million people,[4] until 1959 when the World Health Organization launched their global vaccination programme.[5] In 1980, smallpox was declared the first ever disease to be globally eradicated.[3]
Polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio, is an infectious disease passed from person to person through contact with faeces, saliva or mucus.[6] Before a vaccination was introduced, epidemics would result in up to 750 deaths in the UK each year. [6] The disease mainly affects children under five, and can lead to irreversible paralysis and death.[7] A vaccine was invented in 1955 and deployed widely,[8] sparing countless children from the life-limiting effects of polio or death.[7]
Measles
Before the introduction of a measles vaccine in 1963, major epidemics occurred every 2-3 years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths globally each year.[9]
Vaccines and COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccines have been developed using this same science that has been around for decades.[11] While we continue to learn about COVID-19, we do know that getting vaccinated against the disease can protect the people around you.[11]
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINATION, PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR.
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References
[1] World Economic Forum. A brief history of vaccines and how they changed the world. Available: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/how-vaccines-changed-the-world. Last accessed: December 2022.
[2] World Health Organization. Immunization. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/immunization. Accessed: December 2022.
[3] Ochmann S and Roser M. Our World in Data. Smallpox. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/smallpox. Last accessed: December 2022.
[4] Henderson, D. A. (2011). The eradication of smallpox – An overview of the past, present, and future. Vaccine, 29, D7–D9.
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. History of Smallpox. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html. Accessed: December 2022.
[6] Vaccine Knowledge Project. Polio (Poliomyelitis). Available: https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/polio. Last accessed: December 2022.
[7] World Health Organization. Poliomyelitis. 22 July 2019. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis. Last accessed: December 2022.
[8] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Video on vaccination: Fighting polio. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/video-vaccination-fighti.... Last accessed: December 2022.
[9] World Health Organization. Measles. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles. Last accessed: December 2022.
[10] Behrens H, Ochmann S, Dadonaite B and Roser M. Our World in Data. Tetatnus. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/tetanus. Last accessed: December 2022.
[11] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html. Accessed: December 2022.
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