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Why Immunize?
ü Diseases are becoming rare due to vaccinations:
Diseases such as polio and diphtheria are becoming extremely rare in the U.S. because we have been vaccinated against them.
ü Disease can be eliminated:
If we keep up with the vaccines, chances are we can wipe out a disease. If we get away from it, however, the more likely the disease will come back, and be exceptionally deadly. That’s why we must keep up with our vaccinations. We must not undo the progress we have made over the years.
ü What if we stopped vaccinating?
Before long, we would see epidemics of diseases that had once been nearly under control, start to lose control. That is why it is so important to have your child vaccinated. More children would get sick and die if we stopped.
Example case in Japan: Japan had a successful pertussis (whopping cough) vaccination program in 1974. They had nearly 80% of their children vaccinated. There were no deaths that year, and only 393 cases of pertussis in the entire country. But then it was just assumed that vaccinations were no longer needed and rumors spread that the vaccine was not safe. By 1976, only 10% of infants were getting vaccinated. In 1979 Japan suffered a major pertussis epidemic, with more than 13,000 cases of whopping cough and 41 deaths. So, in 1981, the government decided to begin vaccinating again with acellular pertussis vaccine. The number of pertussis cases dropped again.
ü To protect our future:
The protection of our children is not the only reason to vaccinate. We must protect our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren as well.
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