Immunisations are important for all of us.

Week four already! The time has just flew by being so close to Christmas.

For my blog today, I have chosen to write about why my topic, being immunisations, matters to other people, and for the world in general.

Last week I mentioned how vaccinations have been one of the most successful interventions in the history of public health. Vaccinations have helped to control some of the most debilitating and deadly diseases and also managed to eradicate Smallpox.

Vaccinations matter to other people because as parents or for the safety of ourselves, being vaccinated can ensure we are protected from those diseases. I am pretty sure if a vaccination came out to prevent people from getting cancer (if such a thing could ever exist) that half the world would be lining themselves and their children up for it. Maybe something similar to the HPV vaccine for girls, but for all cancers.

Vaccinations prevent outbreaks of disease, and can keep the community at large safe. Diseases can be brought in by international travellers, and if not immunised this can be picked up quickly. Having as many people as possible vaccinated can prevent a disease from spreading. This is known as herd immunity. This is a form of immunity that can occur when a significant portion of a population provides protection for the individuals who have not developed immunity.

Because diseases pass from one person to the next, the chains of infection are likely to be disrupted when large numbers of a population are immune. And so here, people who are not immunised have less of a chance to catch an infectious disease. Also, with herd immunity, the pathogen may eventually disappear.

Immunisations are important for the whole entire world. Keeping the country you live in as immunised as possible prevents outbreaks of disease and can prevent diseases that have not been around for years such as Polio from arising again. Polio is restricted to four countries in the world now, and is the next target for eradication. But because the countries where this disease still prevails are unstable, such as Afghanistan, it has been nearly impossible to meet this target.

Vaccinations matter to every single person on the planet. Educating people about the benefits of vaccinations will help pave the future for a healthier and less diseased world.

Week five is upon us! Time to crack down on assignment two! Good luck!