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Vaccines play a key role in global public health and there is plenty of evidence to support it (Illustrative Image Infobae)
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that vaccines “They reduce the risk of contracting diseases because they reinforce the body’s natural defenses and help it protect itself. “When a person is vaccinated, their immune system is activated.”
In that sense, “immunization prevents between 3.5 and 5 million deaths each year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza and measles. “Vaccines are also essential to prevent and control outbreaks of infectious diseases, underpin global health security and will be a vital instrument to fight antimicrobial resistance,” according to the OMS.
Without a doubt, the vaccination It is a fundamental component of global public health, and there is ample evidence to support it. For example, there are diseases that were practically eradicated thanks to vaccines, while in other cases it was possible to considerably reduce the incidence or prevent serious conditions.
This is possible as long as you continue with the inoculation schedules, as recommended by experts according to each situation. Within the framework of Vaccination Week, a review of some cases.
The yellow fever vaccine, administered more than 60 years ago, has demonstrated its effectiveness and safety, providing lifelong immunity against this mosquito-borne disease in tropical regions of South America and Africa, according to the WHO (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Yellow fever “is a zoonosis peculiar to some tropical regions of South America and Africa. Its etiologic agent is yellow fever virus, an arbovirus of the genus Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae),” such as informa the WHO, which adds that transmission “occurs through the bite of some species of mosquitoes: In the jungle areas of the Americas, by mosquitoes of the genera Haemagogus and Sabethes. In urban areas, by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.”
“Yellow fever can be prevented with the attenuated yellow fever virus vaccine, strain 17D, which is considered effective and safe, and has been used for more than 60 years for the active immunization of children and adults against infection by the virus. of yellow fever. It confers lifelong immunity,” highlights the WHO.
“Smallpox is a serious and sometimes fatal viral infection. It is a contagious disease, as it spreads from one person to another, and leaves permanent scars. Sometimes, it even causes deformations,” they postulate at Mayo Clinic. And they add: “Smallpox has affected humans for thousands of years until 1980, when it was eradicated due to the development of smallpox vaccines. As of today, the virus is not found naturally. The last case of natural smallpox was reported in 1977.
Thanks to the development of smallpox vaccines, this once serious and deadly disease was eradicated in 1980, marking a milestone in the history of medicine and immunization, with the last natural case recorded in 1977, according to Mayo Clinic (Getty)
And Healthy Children, el place developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, they detail in a list that the hepatitis A vaccine was developed in 1995, “and since then the number of cases has been drastically reduced in the United States.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease and is transmitted through person-to-person contact or through contaminated food and water. Getting vaccinated against hepatitis A is a good way to help your baby stay disease-free and healthy. Doctors recommend that your child receive two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine for the best protection. Your child should receive the first dose between 12 and 23 months of age and the second dose between 6 and 18 months after the first.”
The OMS specifies that hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that can cause acute or chronic disease. “The disease can be transmitted through contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen. The mother can also transmit it to the baby,” reports the global health organization.
And he highlights that it is an infection, “it can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. This is usually administered shortly after birth, and booster doses a few weeks later. It offers practically total protection against the virus. According to the most recent WHO estimates, the percentage of children under five years of age with chronic HBV infection fell from 5% before the vaccine was introduced, that is, between the 1980s and the early 1990s. 2000, to just under 1% in 2019″.
Vaccination against hepatitis B, administered soon after birth with a booster dose, has helped reduce the percentage of children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection to less than 1% in 2019, according to WHO estimates (Getty )
From MedlinePlus, the place of the United States National Library of Medicine, postulate that pneumococcal disease “refers to any disease caused by pneumococcal bacteria. It can cause many types of illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs. Pneumococcal bacteria are one of the most common causes of pneumonia. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine helps protect against bacteria that cause pneumococcal diseases. There are three pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV13, PCV15 and PCV20).”
Mayo Clinic specialists they explain that measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. “Measles was once quite common, but today it can be prevented thanks to a vaccine. Although mortality rates have fallen around the world as the measles vaccine is given to more children, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people each year, mostly children.”
The Healthy Children platform highlights that most “only know diphtheria as a mysterious disease from a long time ago, thanks to the diphtheria vaccine that babies receive. This vaccine, called DTaP, offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. Although preventable, diphtheria still exists and causes a thick lining to form at the back of the nose or in the throat. “It can lead to breathing difficulties, heart failure, paralysis and even death.”
The Hib vaccine is essential to protect children against Hib disease, which can be disabling or fatal (Getty)
Hib disease is a serious condition caused by the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English). “Babies and children under 5 years of age are at greatest risk of contracting this disease, which can cause lifelong disability and be fatal,” according to the institution.
And they add that doctors “recommend giving three or four doses of the Hib vaccine, depending on the brand of the vaccine, to children as the best way to protect against this disease. Hib vaccines are safe, and are effective in preventing this disease. Like any medication, vaccines can cause side effects. These are usually mild and disappear on their own.”
According to Healthy Childhood, “mumps is best known for causing swelling of the cheeks and jaw. This is due to inflammation of the salivary glands. Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and tiredness. Mumps is a contagious disease that has no treatment. They remain a threat today: cases of people with mumps occur annually in the United States. In recent years, mumps outbreaks have occurred in settings where there was close, prolonged contact with infected people, such as those who shared a classroom or played on the same sports team. The MMR vaccine protects them against mumps, measles and rubella.”
In any case, it is essential to follow the recommendations of health professionals regarding vaccination schedules (Illustrative Image Infobae)
From the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in a with gacet institutional, explain that polio “was eradicated 30 years ago in the region of the Americas thanks to intensive vaccination, but the threat continues because the virus continues to circulate in Asia and some other regions. After several years of testing, in 1955 the first vaccine emerged that managed to reduce the number of cases by a tenth. In 1962, a second oral vaccine was approved that facilitated mass administration, significantly reducing transmission cases in less than twenty years.”
“Polio is spread mainly by the fecal-oral route and can cause paralysis, fever, fatigue and neck stiffness, among other symptoms. Despite there being no cure for polio, multiple vaccinations offer lifelong protection,” they add from the UNAM.
