The tragic death of a local 17 year old boy reminds us that certain infections can be deadly and that vaccinating our children is life-saving.
As pediatricians, we are spending more time convincing parents of the need to vaccinate their children. In part, this is due to the effectiveness of vaccines in eliminating many life-threatening diseases. No mother today has suffered with a child paralyzed from polio; no father has watched a child die from measles.
Unfortunately if enough parents decide not to vaccinate their children, many of the diseases of the past will become all too real a part of our children's futures.
The following diseases which used to strike fear in the hearts of parents and pediatricians alike have all been virtually eliminated by vaccines:
Measles is virtually unseen in the United States, though this deadly disease is still a major problem world wide, killing over 700,000 children per year.
Polio infected nearly 60,000 children causing more than 3,000 deaths in the United States at the height of the 1952 epidemic. SInce the polio vaccine was introduced to masses of eager school children, polio has been completely eliminated in North America.
Haemophilus Influenza B was the most common cause of meningitis in young children before the HIB vaccine came out in1983. Haemophilus also caused epiglottitis, a swelling in the throat often leading to respiratory arrest. The HIB vaccine has decreased invasive Haemophilus disease by over 95% and saved the lives of thousands of children.
Pneumoccocus is a very common cause of meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis (an infection of the blood and organs.) Since the introduction of the Prevnar vaccine in 2000, rates of serious pneumococcal disease have decreased 80%.
Rubella, a cause of severe birth defects, is almost unheard of since a 1970's advertising campaign reminded woman to get under the "rubella umbrella" and get vaccinated.