This is semi-long but taken directly from my text book: Kirby Immunology Seventh Edition
Word for word for any interested in the perspective from Immunology.
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The development of vaccines for some pathogens is a major challenge. However despite many biological and social hurdles, vaccination has yielded some of the most profound success stories in terms of improving mortality rates worldwide, especially in young children.
In 1977 the last case of naturally acquired smallpox was seen in Somalia. This dreaded disease was eradicated by universal application of vaccine similar to that used by Jenner in the 1790’s. Vaccination to smallpox largely ended in the early to mid 1970’s, leaving well over half the current world population susceptible to the disease. So this is why smallpox is now considered a bioterrorism threat. If someone intentionally unleashed this on us again there would be devastating consequences.
In the United States, vaccines have eliminated a host of childhood diseases that were the leading cause of death for young children just 50 years ago. Measles, mumps, chickenpox, whopping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, and polio, once thought to be an inevitable part of childhood are now extremely rare or non-existents in the United States because of current vaccination practices.
Disease, Prevaccine, Post Vaccine, Reduction (%)
Smallpox 48,164 - 0 - 100%
Diphtheria 175,885 - 0 - 100%
Measles 503,282 - 25 - 99.99%
Mumps 152,200 - 2,612 - 98.28%
Whooping Cough 147,271 - 27,550 - 81.29%
Paralytic Polio 16,316 - 0 - 100%
German Measles 47,745 - 5 - 99.99%
Tetanus 1,314(deaths) - 26(cases) - 98.02%
Misinformation and myth surrounding vaccine efficacy and side effects continues to hamper many potentially life-saving vaccination programs.
EDIT: My words - These above stats are from 2010. So you can see now the effect of the recent (and other recent) measles increases in the above.
EDIT: My words - Of note is the reported death rate from measles in the US was 3 per 1,000 cases. So if the measles came back in full force again, there would be more than 1,500 children under the age of 5 die each year, and very high chances >~50% of severe complications for many of the remaining children.
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The Chapter Ends with this which I’ll type out in short form:
Super short version - Anti-vaccine people had ZERO to do with the removal of mercury.
Longer Version:
Clinical Focus - Autism and Vaccines: What’s Truth and What’s Myth?
This began with the suggestion that Thimerosal, a mercury-based additive used to inhibit bacterial growth in some vaccine preparations since the 1930’s, was causing autism in children. The CDC and the American Association of Pediatricians released a joint recommendation that manufacturers gradually begin to phase out Thimerosal use in vaccines. This recommendation was actually aimed at keeping children at or below the recommended EPA maximums in mercury exposure.
However, with the release of this recommendation – parent-led public advocacy groups began a media fueled campaign to build a case demonstrating what “THEY” believed was now a link between vaccines and an epidemic of autism. Sadly, this led to a dramatic decline in the latter half of 1999 in U.S newborns vaccinated for Hepatitis B.
To date no credible study has shown a scientific link between Thimerosal and Autism.
In fact, cases of Autism have continued to rise since Thimerosal was removed from all childhood vaccines in 2001. Despite evidence to the contrary, some still believe this claim.
The data in the original article published by Andrew Wakefeild was actually falsified to reach desired conclusions. 10 of the 12 authors of the article withdrew support upon realization of this and a retraction was printed in the British Medical journal.
Upon printing of the original article and the years in-between when it was learned that the data was deliberately manipulated and falsified, the article itself was shown responsible for a decline in MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination went from a high of 92% all the way down to 60% in certain areas of the UK. The resulting rate of expansion of the population of susceptible individuals led to epidemic rates of measles and mumps infection and is credited with thousands of extended hospital stays and several needless deaths in infected children.
To read in full again the source is Kirby Immunology Seventh Edition.
Obviously there's much more written and it's very very interesting on the history of vaccine how and when they were first developed and such.
Quickly - again from my text book - the first recorded attempts to deliberately induce immunity were performed by the Chinese and Turks in the fifteenth century. They were attempting to prevent smallpox, which is fatal in about
30% of the cases and leaves survivors permanently disfigured. Reports suggested that the dried crusts derived from smallpox pustules were either inhaled or inserted into cuts in the skin in order to prevent the disease.
Vaccines have quite a long, safe and interesting history actually.
Post Edited (Canada Mark) : 1/29/2015 9:33:24 PM (GMT-7)