Why Immunization Is Important?
Immunization is one of the best ways you can protect yourself, your children and future generations from infectious diseases. In other words, if you vaccinate, you help wipe out disease that could spread now and into the future.
Immunization Saves Lives
As recently as the 1950s, thousands of children died every year from diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis). Luckily, it is rare for anyone in Jamaica to die from these infectious diseases now, thanks to the major vaccination programs introduced in the 1970s and 1980s, which continue today.
How Do Vaccinations Work?
All immunizations work in the same way. The vaccination uses your body’s immune system to increase protection to an infection before you come into contact with that infection. In other words, it is like being infected with the disease without suffering the actual symptoms.
If you come into contact with an infection after you have been vaccinated, your body works to stop you from getting the disease, or you may get just a mild case. Unlike other proposed approaches to immunization (such as homeopathy), vaccinations have been rigorously tested to demonstrate their safety and effectiveness in protecting against infectious disease.
What About People Who Cannot Be Immunized?
Some people in our community cannot be vaccinated. This might be because they are too young or too sick. You can help protect these vulnerable people by keeping your family’s vaccinations up to date.
When you get vaccinated, you are playing an important role in keeping yourself and your community safe. When enough people in the community are vaccinated, the spread of a disease slows down or stops completely – this is because the disease can’t move easily from person to person. So as long as enough people are vaccinated, the disease will not spread. This is called herd immunity or community immunity and protects friends, family and others, especially those who cannot be immunized.
Modern outbreaks of Infectious Diseases
Many infectious diseases are rare or not around anymore, thanks to vaccination. But there are still infectious disease outbreaks happening around the world today:
COVID-19 – a new disease that the world is still learning about. New research is happening all the time so we can understand more about the disease, including the long-term effects.
Flu, chicken pox, whooping cough, measles – these diseases still have occasional outbreaks in Australia, mainly when introduced from overseas.
They could make a strong comeback if people stop vaccinating. In January 2019, 62,225 measles cases were notified globally compared to the same period in 2018 when only 23,535 cases were notified.
Zika – in February 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency following outbreaks in Central and South America. There is ongoing evidence of transmission throughout the Americas, Africa and other regions of the world.
As of 2018, a total of 86 countries and territories have reported evidence of mosquito-transmitted Zika infection according to WHO.
Ebola – the latest outbreak of Ebola virus disease started in Democratic Republic of Congo in August 2018, and is ongoing. HIV/AIDS – the first cases of HIV/AIDS were identified in the gay community in America in 1981 and, by 1985, at least one case had been reported from each region of the world. In 2019, more than 38 million people around the world were living with HIV/AIDS. There is still no cure, but current treatments allow patients to live long and healthy lives. No vaccines exist for Zika, Ebola or HIV/ AIDS, but research is underway.
Immunization Surveillance
To keep you, your family and your community safe, governments need a complete picture of immunization. That is where immunization surveillance comes in. Immunization surveillance involves researching and collating information on immunization programs.
Many countries have an official immunization surveillance body (for example, the CDC in the United States). Jamaica as one too, The
Ministry of Health (MOH).
Social Research
How new vaccines are developed
It can take a long time to develop a new vaccine. The development process is rigorous and the vaccine is constantly monitored – even after it is being used – to make sure it is safe and effective.
A new vaccine goes through many phases of development, including research, discovery, preclinical testing, clinical testing and regulatory approval. Once the vaccine is approved, the vaccine is then manufactured and shipped to where it’s needed.
After vaccines are introduced into immunization schedules, they are closely monitored through trials and surveillance to see if they are effective and safe. In Australia, there are regional and national surveillance systems actively looking for any adverse events following immunization. This is necessary, as sometimes unexpected side effects occur after vaccines are registered for use.