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Ever wondered if vaccines did not exist, what would happen to this world? The importance of vaccines has played an essential part silently in our lives. Just think how vaccines have saved many of us from polio to COVID-19. It has become part and parcel of maintaining global health. It prevents a future resurgence of the disease, particularly in a post-pandemic world where everyone still can’t escape the COVID-19 nightmare. There is a list of the advantages of vaccines. Let’s discuss this further in detail.
Future outbreaks:
In the post-pandemic era, the importance of vaccines plays a very significant role. It helps in the prevention of the resurgence of COVID-19 as the virus continues to spread and still endangers many lives. The vaccination also prevents the resurgence of other diseases that have been eradicated like smallpox and polio. However, lapses in their vaccination can cause the resurgence of these diseases. Diseases like measles, hepatitis B, yellow fever, COVID-19, and rotavirus are preventable only if we keep the vaccination rate of these diseases high. It is predicted that through vaccination 50 million deaths can be prevented in the future.
Herd immunity:
The importance of vaccines is imperative for maintaining global well-being. Those who are unable to receive vaccinations for a multitude of reasons, such as chronic illnesses or allergies, are more susceptible to contracting an outbreak of the disease. So these individuals can be saved from the pandemic if immunization is done on a population scale. Hence a vaccinated person not only saves himself against the disease but the people around him as well. The importance of vaccines done at the population scale is known as herd immunity.
Public health systems:
The integral component of the public healthcare system is vaccination. It plays a significant role in strengthening the healthcare system. The importance of the COVID-19 vaccines has increased as the vaccination campaign of COVID-19 has now significantly reduced the spread of critical cases and also strengthened the surveillance and monitoring systems. It has also lowered the risk of a shortage of staff in hospitals. After the pandemic, the healthcare systems have made progress in tracking, diagnosis, and data collection.
Economic growth and stability:
The importance of vaccines is the most pertinent tool since they not only prevent diseases but also save healthcare costs. If you are vaccinated, you will avoid hospitalization and costly treatment. It also prevents work absence due to illness and hence promotes workforce productivity. According to statistics about vaccines, each dollar spent on immunization saves $52. Vaccines contribute to economic development and stability by alleviating the strain on the economy. Since the invention of vaccinations, confidence in individuals has increased. Additionally, it undoubtedly has a favorable impact on their mental health.
Countering misinformation:
Education is an additional objective of the vaccination campaign since vaccine coverage is still incomplete because of vaccination reluctance in people. This explains why polio hasn’t been completely eliminated in some nations.
The benefits of vaccination are manifold. Since COVID-19, the importance of vaccinations has elevated as more and more people acknowledge its importance. Vaccination reduces the fatality and death rate of a disease. Vaccines not only immunize one individual but also protect the vulnerable community. Also, there is still a probability of 44% of another outbreak in the next ten years. There are 25 safe and effective vaccines to respond to future outbreaks. The importance of vaccines is a key to a more resilient future. It is predicted that measles and hepatitis vaccination can save nearly 19 million and 14 million lives, respectively. Similarly, the timely introduction of COVID-19 has also reduced the number of deaths.
So now you know the answer to “Is COVID-19 a preventable disease?” If any questions are left, ask a doctor or book an appointment.
References:
- https://papers.ssrn.com/s013/papers.cfm?abstract id=3830781
- https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00103
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-023-00773-0
- www.cdc.gov/global-immunization/fast-facts.
- https://emhealth.org/the-importance-of-immunizations-a-healthier-future
- https://www.who.int/