A common theme that we can see in global health is the role that vaccine accessibility plays in preventing diseases. There are so many countries that are suffering epidemics of diseases that we rarely see in the Western hemisphere, and this has everything to do with healthcare disparities. I actually think that we take vaccines for granted and once you start researching how they are affecting countries that don’t have access to them it’s like falling down a rabbit hole. It is a very important rabbit hole to fall into, though, and I am sure that Dr. Cramer would urge each of us to continue looking into the epidemiological side of microbiology, as we don’t cover it too deeply in class. Some specific examples of underrated vaccines that I am going to discuss in my blog are: the MMR vaccine and the pertussis vaccine.
The measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is actually coming to be my favorite vaccine. It is administered once and then just like that, you are protected against three potentially fatal diseases. As part of the routine vaccine roster for children, it offers protection and when taken properly can protect an entire community from outbreaks. Unfortunately, though, there is a rising anti-vaxx campaign that is causing a rise in MMR incidence in the US, which is like a small preview of what countries lacking access to this vaccine go through. Thankfully there are numerous efforts worldwide aimed at alleviating the spread of these viruses, specifically in impoverished countries. There is currently a measles and rubella campaign that is underway and looking to vaccinate over 45 million children in 7 countries against MMR viruses (Mahase, n.p.). This initiative started as a means to combat the rising rates of measles and rubella, which reached over 400,000 cases in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. So as you can see, vaccination is key because eradicating these preventable diseases starts with preventing them, and that is why vaccines are like a gold mine!
Another disease that we don’t hear much about is pertussis, aka whooping cough. This is yet another completely preventable disease that is popping up over the US as a result of improper vaccination practices. There are some specific communities in the US that are feeling the effects, specifically Lake County in Illinois, with 212 reported cases of whooping cough in 2019 (Coleman, n.p.). Again, there should not be such a high number of cases, as the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, or DTaP, vaccine (arguably just as cool as the MMR vaccine) is available for preventing this bacterial infection. The “aP” part of this vaccine is acellular Pertussis, which is a subunit vaccine that consists of key protein antigens against pertussis. The recommendation being made to Lake County and those surrounding it is to keep their vaccinations up to date (Coleman, n.p.).
As you can see, neglecting vaccines when they are readily available is irresponsible because it puts individuals such as young children or those who are immunocompromised at risk. It is extremely frustrating to witness a misguided and misinformed anti-vaccination group growing in the US when there are people who are not as lucky to be able to protect themselves and their children from preventable diseases. To end, vaccines are miracles, please don’t neglect them (feel free to spread the word).
Jaylin’s Thoughts: Microbiology 