Among the most significant scientific accomplishments of the 21st century is discovering secure and effective immunization agents against illnesses that cause massive morbidity and mortality rates. Vaccination has had the most significant effect on reducing morbidity from severe diseases that predominantly affect the pediatric population. Immunization agents are believed to have saved 6 million lives per year from vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Vaccines have multiple benefits since they can protect the population against illnesses other than those for which they were developed. Diseases with pathogens, particularly viruses, might increase the risk of contracting other infectious diseases. For instance, either seasonal or epidemic influenza virus infections are usually accompanied by bacterial pneumonia and acute otitis media and very occasionally by Aspergillus pneumonia/pneumonitis (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Additionally, for infections that are limited to human populations, global disease elimination is possible with the help of immunization agents. For example, in 1980, Jenner’s creation of a smallpox vaccine utilizing the vaccinia virus resulted in the virus’s eventual elimination by ring vaccination (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Thus, to assure no continuous spread, substantial degrees of population immunity can be achieved with the help of immunization agents.
However, there are risks associated with the vaccination agents. The perfect example of such risks can be wild poliovirus. Before introducing immunization agents, this severe virus commonly impacted children and adults (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). However, in the 1950s and 1960s, the inactivated polio vaccine and the live-attenuated oral polio vaccine became accessible, both of which were capable of protecting against all forms of poliovirus (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Nevertheless, while such vaccines are widely used across the world, being considerably easier and less costly to deliver, they are associated with the danger of producing circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (Rodrigues & Plotkin, 2020). Consequently, some immunization agents might be believed to be harmful.
While discussing the advantages and risks of immunization agents, it is important to note that such agents may be controversial. For example, the initial diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine was highly debated because of the overall adverse impacts of high temperature, restlessness, and infrequent, benign fever episodes (Dash & Verma, 2018). Moreover, it has been linked to abrupt newborn mortality and other dangerous chronic illnesses (DeStefano et al., 2019). Hence, while immunization agents prove to have multiple benefits, such as increased population immunity, there are still risks, including mutations of the viruses and controversies, associated with high mortality and morbidity rates.
References
Dash, N., & Verma, S. (2018). Pertussis and rotavirus vaccines–controversies and solutions. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 85(1), 53-59.
DeStefano, F., Bodenstab, H. M., & Offit, P. A. (2019). Principal controversies in vaccine safety in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 69(4), 726-731.
Rodrigues, C., & Plotkin, S. A. (2020). Impact of vaccines; health, economic and social perspectives. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 1526.