Posted June 21, 2011
Vaccinating children is the most important thing Pediatricians do. Vaccines are
actually the best medicine. They prevent disease from occurring in the first place.
The increase in new vaccines over the last 50 years has truly revolutionized medicine.
In the first year of life, kids receive protection against eight different diseases.
Diseases which used to kill them.
1. Diphtheria-
Fatality rate prior to the vaccine, 10,000 deaths a year in USA
2. Pertussis- Fatality rate prior to the vaccine, 5,000 deaths a year in USA
3. Tetanus- Fatality rate prior to the vaccine in the USA is not
available.
Fatality rate in the world today is 500,000 deaths in newborns of
moms who
have not been vaccinated for tetanus.
4. Polio-
Fatality rate prior to the vaccine, 3,000 deaths a year in USA
5. Haemophilus Influenza Group B bacteria
Fatality rate prior to
the vaccine, 100 deaths a year in USA
6.
Hepatitis B- Fatality rate prior to the vaccine in the USA is not available
7. Rotovirus- Fatality rate prior to the vaccine 50 deaths a year in USA
Fatality
rate in the world today is about 500,000 deaths a year.
8.
Streptococcus pneumoniae-
Fatality rate prior to the vaccine in the USA is not available.
This bacteria
causes most of the cases of pneumonia.
For
just the diseases we have fatality data on, the vaccines we give in the first year of life prevent 18,150 deaths per year
in the USA alone.
There is another factor here.
Human beings are the only known host for half of these micro-organisms. These are diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and haemophilus
influenzae group B. So, the only way to protect yourself and your children is to get vaccinated against theses diseases.
