what is the benefit to all for everyone to be vaccinated against disease?

Question

I've heard replies that "so what if people don't get vaccinated, if you get yours, you're protected."

somehow that doesn't ring true to me. For some reason, I feel if disease is allowed to return due to lax vaccination in a population, that disease will be that much harder to control.

Am I wrong? Should I just worry about myself and not care that others are getting polio, etc, if I vaccinate myself and my family? If we're vaccinated, would we still be as protected as we are now that these diseases are not rampant like they used to be?

Dr. Phil - I'm asking because of the recent hullabaloo about refusal of vaccination for religious reasons. I can forsee a time when we revert back to fearing disease that's been mostly eradicated because a greater number of people refuse vaccination, which I think would put us all at risk, whether we're vaccinated or not.

I also have heard vaccinations do not last lifetimes, so a return of disease could impact people who truly intend to remain vaccinated but didn't make the critical window to revaccinate.

Answer 1

There's a lot to be said for herd immunity.

You are right: If immunization standards lag, in the event that a particular disease is brought into a population, it will be hard to control for a variety of reasons. The first and foremost is practical: people are seldom prepared to deal with a rare and catastrophic event. When a disease falls off your endemic radar, your medical professionals may be less ready to identify it (certainly in the case of obscure infections like coccidiodomycosis -- we're still waiting for a vaccine for that) or treat it.

While vaccine offer great protection, there are some people who can still contract the illness. Of course, that's one more incident to deal with -- if your endemic incidence is zero, then suddenly you've got an epidemic on your hands.

Ideally, we'd like to eradicate many of these infections. You can only get there with universal vaccinations in endemic regions. thats how we got rid of smallpox. And we were so close with polio, until people starting to opt out of vaccinations. not just here, but places in Nigeria and so forth.

Anyway, the gist is, go with the herd on this one. It benefits EVERYONE to have universal vaccinations.

Answer 2

If you are vaccinated, you cannot contract the disease. Others can, so the 'benefit to all for everyone to be vaccinated' is so that it doesn't spread.

There's not a lot you can do if someone else doesn't want to get themselves vaccinated, so all you can do is vaccinate yourself.

I don't understand your reasoning. If a disease is present in some people due to them not being vaccinated, it is easier to control than if everyone was infected. So yes, I think you are wrong.

Answer 3

As a disease continues to infect the population, it mutates. If everyone is vaccinated, then the disease dies out, mostly, and does not have the chance to mutate. Eventually, if very few people are immune, then the mutation will no longer be affected by the antibodies in a vaccinated person.

Answer 4

The benefit is a healthier population. That means health insurance premiums will remain stable rather than skyrocket because so much of the population is ill and in need of treatment. It also means less disablility and money-sucking out of insurance companies and Social Security.

Answer 5

You are right. We are headed for catastrophe for those who have not vaccinated their children. some bug is going to get around, and the payment for ignorance will be with the lives of children.