A brief history of vaccination

vaccinestoday

20 Apr 201502:09

Summary

TLDRAdvances in sanitation and healthcare have significantly reduced child mortality, with vaccines playing a crucial role. Diseases like smallpox and polio have been eradicated or drastically reduced through global immunization campaigns. The 21st century sees a life-course approach to vaccination, with vaccines for all age groups. Maintaining high immunization rates is vital as it prevents disease resurgence and reduces healthcare costs. The Global Vaccine Action Plan estimates significant savings through vaccination, and new vaccines for HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola are in development, promising a future with more vaccine-preventable diseases.

Takeaways

💉 Sanitation and health care advances have significantly reduced child mortality rates.
🌟 Vaccines have had a profound impact on children's health, with smallpox being a notable success story.
🌍 The global immunization campaign against smallpox led to its eradication by 1979.
📉 The polio eradication program has reduced cases by 99% since 1988.
🇺🇸 In the U.S., diseases like diphtheria and congenital rubella syndrome have been eliminated.
🇪🇺 Europe is committed to eliminating measles and rubella in the coming years.
👶👵 A life course approach to vaccination is emerging in the 21st century, focusing on all age groups.
💪 Good immunization coverage is crucial as it prevents the resurgence of diseases and associated death rates.
💰 Vaccines help reduce health care spending, with an estimated $63 billion saved between 2011 and 2022.
🔬 New vaccines for diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola are in development.

Q & A

How has child mortality been affected by advances in sanitation and health care?
-Child mortality has significantly decreased in recent decades due to advances in sanitation and health care.
What role have vaccines played in improving children's health historically?
-Vaccines have had a significant impact on children's health, with smallpox being a notable example where a global immunization campaign led to its eradication.
How many people did smallpox kill worldwide in the 20th century?
-Smallpox killed between 300 and 500 million people worldwide in the 20th century.
When was smallpox declared eradicated by the World Health Organization?
-The World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1979.
What has been the impact of the polio eradication program since 1988?
-The polio eradication program has reduced the number of cases by 99 percent since 1988.
Which diseases have been eliminated in the U.S. due to vaccination efforts?
-Diphtheria and congenital rubella syndrome have been eliminated in the U.S. through vaccination efforts.
What is Europe's commitment regarding measles and rubella?
-Europe is committed to beating measles and rubella in the coming years.
Why is it important to maintain good immunization coverage rates?
-Maintaining good immunization coverage rates is important because when they fall, diseases can return and death rates can rise.
How do vaccines help in reducing health care spending?
-Vaccines help to reduce spending on health care and treatment, with the global vaccine action plan estimating that 63 billion dollars will be saved between 2011 and 2022 using existing vaccines.
What new vaccines are currently in development?
-New vaccines against HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola are currently in development.
What does the future hold in terms of vaccine-preventable diseases?
-In the future, we can expect more diseases to become vaccine-preventable due to the development of new vaccines and the effective implementation of vaccination programs.

Outlines

00:00

💉 Impact of Vaccines on Child Mortality and Disease Eradication

The paragraph discusses the significant decline in child mortality due to improvements in sanitation and healthcare, with a particular emphasis on the role of vaccines. It highlights the historical impact of vaccines, using smallpox as an example, which was eradicated in 1979 following a global immunization campaign. The paragraph also mentions the 99% reduction in polio cases since 1988. It notes the elimination of diseases like diphtheria and congenital rubella syndrome in the U.S. and Europe's commitment to eradicating measles and rubella. The shift towards a life course approach to vaccination in the 21st century is emphasized, with vaccines being crucial for all age groups, including those with chronic diseases and the elderly. The importance of maintaining high immunization coverage rates is stressed, as a decline can lead to the resurgence of diseases and increased death rates. The economic benefits of vaccines are also mentioned, with the Global Vaccine Action Plan estimating savings of $63 billion between 2011 and 2022. The paragraph concludes by looking forward to the development of new vaccines for diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sanitation

Sanitation refers to the conditions and practices that promote health by preventing the spread of diseases through the safe management of waste, wastewater, and contaminated materials. In the video, the improvement in sanitation is highlighted as a significant factor contributing to the reduction in child mortality rates, showcasing its importance in public health and disease prevention.

💡Health care

Health care encompasses the organized provision of medical services to individuals or communities through various health professionals and allied health fields. The script mentions the role of health care in the decline of child mortality, emphasizing its critical role in improving children's health outcomes and overall well-being.

💡Vaccines

Vaccines are biological preparations that provide active acquired immunity to specific infectious diseases. They are a crucial tool in preventing diseases, as illustrated by the video's discussion of how vaccines have significantly impacted children's health by eradicating or reducing the prevalence of diseases like smallpox and polio.

💡Smallpox

Smallpox is a contagious and often deadly infectious disease caused by the variola virus. The video uses smallpox as a historical example of a disease that was eradicated through a global immunization campaign, demonstrating the power of vaccines in controlling and eliminating deadly diseases.

💡Polio

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. The script discusses the success of the polio eradication program, which has reduced the number of polio cases by 99 percent since 1988, highlighting the effectiveness of vaccination programs in disease control.

💡Diphtheria

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The video notes that diphtheria has been eliminated in the U.S., which underscores the success of vaccination programs in eradicating diseases that were once common and deadly.

💡Congenital Rubella Syndrome

Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) is a series of birth defects that can occur in a baby if the mother contracts rubella, also known as German measles, while pregnant. The script mentions the elimination of CRS in the U.S., indicating the broader impact of vaccination programs on maternal and child health.

💡Measles

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to serious health complications. The video mentions Europe's commitment to beating measles, showing the ongoing efforts to control and eliminate diseases through vaccination, even in regions where they are no longer endemic.

💡Rubella

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a contagious viral infection that can cause birth defects if contracted during pregnancy. The video's mention of rubella aligns with the broader theme of preventing diseases through vaccination, especially those that can have severe consequences for pregnant women and their unborn children.

💡Life course approach

A life course approach to vaccination refers to the strategy of vaccinating individuals at various stages of life, from infancy to old age, to protect against diseases throughout their lifetime. The video emphasizes this approach as a shift in the 21st century, highlighting the importance of vaccination for all age groups to maintain good health.

💡Immunization coverage rates

Immunization coverage rates refer to the proportion of a population that has received the recommended vaccines. The video stresses the importance of maintaining high immunization coverage rates to prevent the resurgence of diseases and the increase in death rates, emphasizing the collective impact of vaccination on public health.

💡Global Vaccine Action Plan

The Global Vaccine Action Plan is a strategic plan to prevent millions of deaths through more equitable access to vaccines. The video cites the plan's estimate that 63 billion dollars will be saved between 2011 and 2022 using existing vaccines, illustrating the economic benefits of vaccination programs alongside their health benefits.

💡New vaccines

The script mentions new vaccines against HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola that are in development. This highlights the ongoing research and innovation in the field of vaccination, aiming to make more diseases preventable and further reduce the global burden of infectious diseases.

Highlights

Advances in sanitation and health care have significantly reduced child mortality in recent decades.

Vaccines have had a significant impact on children's health throughout history.

Smallpox killed between 300 and 500 million people worldwide in the 20th century.

A global immunization campaign in the 1960s eradicated smallpox by 1979.

The polio eradication program has reduced cases by 99 percent since 1988.

In the U.S., diphtheria and congenital rubella syndrome have been eliminated.

Europe is committed to beating measles and rubella in the coming years.

A life course approach to vaccination is emerging in the 21st century.

Vaccines exist to protect not only children but also adolescents, adults, and older age groups.

Maintaining good immunization coverage rates is crucial to prevent the return of diseases.

Vaccines help reduce spending on health care and treatment.

The global vaccine action plan estimates $63 billion will be saved between 2011 and 2022 using existing vaccines.

New vaccines against HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and Ebola are in development.

More diseases are expected to become vaccine-preventable in the future.

The effective implementation of vaccination programs is key to disease prevention.