Socio-economics of vaccination

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 12 Jun 2020 2:25PM · 9 Comments

REDUCTION of illnesses and death from vaccine preventable diseases helps focus resources for scientific research and development. We get closer to effective vaccine discoveries for Covid-19 and dengue or cures for cancer.  We interrupt the vicious cycle linking infections to malnutrition, liberating people from poverty, when the population is fully vaccinated .

Vaccination is a crucial public health measure as it not only prevents infections but also prevents their complications, including certain human cancers, which drain economic resources.

If you think your child takes too much sick leave from school, consider completing the child’s vaccinations because vaccinated children have fewer vaccine preventable infections. They utilise nutritive energy to grow and develop body, brain and immunity rather than to fight infections.  Indirectly, vaccination makes their parents more productive as well.

Antibiotic resistance makes antibiotics not work when we need them to. Immunised children use less antibiotics because they don’t get as many infections and even if they do, their infections are milder.  When bacterial infections are reduced, antibiotic usage and antibiotic resistance are reduced.

Some microbes (such as the pneumococcus and meningococcus) live harmlessly in throats of healthy adults but kissing or cuddling very young babies who have immature immune systems can spread these microbes, leading to severe blood and brain infections requiring hospitalisation and intensive care. This type of spread can be prevented by appropriate vaccines.

Consider this scenario: philanthropists engaged in charity work cheering up orphans, old folk, cancer and kidney patients . But none have chosen to vaccinate their healthy children, believing natural immunity is best to achieve herd immunity (a level of immunity when most of a population is immune to an infectious disease to provide indirect protection)

While some vaccine preventable diseases may express in a milder form in some of us, the impact of a disease could change at various ages and may be influenced by underlying diseases. For example, if an unvaccinated young girl should become pregnant later in life, an otherwise mild disease such as German measles could have dangerous consequences for her foetus, causing severe abnormalities, whereas if vaccinated, the young girl is safely protected against German measles at an early age. Hence depending on natural immunity is not always safe.

Did you know, for instance, that while most of us get away with a few  blebs when we come down with chicken pox,  one who has diabetes mellitus may suffer a brain infection when infected by the same virus?

Do the philanthropists realise that the little girl they pamper in the cancer ward is banking on vaccine acquired immunity in her community to protect her from vaccine preventable infections?  Infections are very dangerous to her. She can’t be vaccinated at this stage of her life so she depends on indirect protection from the vaccination of others so that nobody transmits the infection to her. 

The plight of the boy who can’t open his eyes due to facial swelling because he loses proteins in his urine is such that he risks his life if a measles outbreak occurs. That shouldn’t occur if everyone, or mostly everyone, in the community is vaccinated. Some populations face great hurdles reaching healthcare systems in time for vaccination so we, who have our easy access to health facilities, must take every opportunity to vaccinate ourselves and our families because s

The teenage girl with lupus erythematosus depends on the immunity of a vaccinated community so that no one harbouring dangerous infections comes into contact with her and vice versa. Her steroid medications predispose her to infections, which are often difficult to clear.

The aunt and the uncle in the old folk’s home who is severely allergic to most types of vaccines  , are citizens deserving of protection from many vaccine preventable infections through the protective immunity of a well-vaccinated community.

If we continue to vaccinate ourselves and our children in a timely and up-to-date manner, there is impactful societal benefit. I’d call that a measure of philanthropy too. – June 12, 2020.

Dr Prameela Kannan Kutty is professor of paediatrics at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.

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Comments

  • The importance of vaccines has come to manys attention since the Covid-19 outbreak which causes serious disease in the very young and very old populations. If we were aware of the news, we could realise that the process of creating one is not only a long but tedious one. Thx to the scientists whom went through all this in order for us to have what we have now.

    I particularly like how the author expresses taking vaccines as a measure of philantrophy - It doesnt requires thousand and millions in cash; it doesnt requires hours or days of your time; it just requires a clear rational mind. Big shout out for the author for openly sharing the benefits of vaccines through her articles.

    Posted 6 years ago by Eugene Hew · Reply

  • Another great article about vaccines in the middle of the pandemic . As the research bodies all around world racing to find a vaccine for Covid19 probably many would have understood how much important it is to the world right now . It might seem important now just because we are witnessing it live what it does to the people and the society just in the period of few months if not many wouldn't bother what it is in the first place . Just like the Covid19 there are many infectious diseases out there that could do the same or even worst to you, your beloved ones and to the society . Luckily we have vaccines for many of them . As the author mentioned vaccines can make a significant difference for people who are in the verge of life or death in the hospital where a mere chicken pox could be life threatening. I second that getting you and your loved ones vaccinate is indeed makes you a philanthropists.

    Posted 6 years ago by Thecican Mathivanan · Reply

  • Thanks author for pointing out the importance of vaccination to our community . Vaccination not only protect our next generation from the infection , but it also reduce the cost of medication, the outbreak of disease, the economy of country and of course, the quality of life . Antibiotic resistance is one of the major issue we are facing now. Due to it , we have to invent different type of new antibiotics and that actually is a challenging points for doctors to choose the best antibiotics. Without vaccination, children are at high risk to get those kind of infections. Without vaccination, mild diseases which can be prevented are fatal to children if they are malnourished or immunocompromised. Prevention is better than cure . We shouldnt making any excuses in rejecting vaccination because the outcome of vaccinated child is far more better than child who is not vaccinated .

    Posted 6 years ago by Samuel Ting · Reply

  • An insighful and an eye opening article that should be read by all. The explanations given in an easy way for everyone to understand should be praised as it is not easy to make people understand instantly. However, author did very well in doing so. Cant wait to read more of what the author has to share!

    Posted 6 years ago by Sharifah Shasha · Reply

    • Yea I agreed with you. This article should be read by all especially the pious anti-vaxxer and thanks author for bringing up these important points of vaccination. Whilst I agree that vaccinations and herd immunity are important, people civil liberties are more so. We can't force people to accept something they do not want regardless of there reason. This article should be an eye opening for them that there is a simple difference. Refuse something that is just for you is fine eg any treatment like a ventilator. This should extend to not any of us must choose to keep living or to choose an end. However, a vaccine is not about you- it is about everyone. It is the best ways you can protect yourself, your children and future generations from infectious diseases. In other words, if you vaccinate, you help wipe out disease that could spread now and into the future.

      Posted 6 years ago by Nur Athirah Rosli · Reply

  • Thanks for an insightful article about the importance of vaccination, especially when the whole world is dealing with covid -19 crisis. It is about time the parents are well informed about the side effects of not vaccinating their child? And also about 'antibiotic resistance' which is a budding issue in our country. Strongly hope that the antivaccine parents come across articles like this before they take a risk with their child' life.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lavanya Sivaji · Reply

  • Its devastating to know that not everyone is onboard advancing along with technology and scientific innovations on serving the society. Vaccination has been proven its efficacy since years ago where it not only prevents the spread of a disease but also contributes in its eradication. I think its rather ignorant to overlook the weightage of its benefits over the lack of evidence of the so-called vaccine complications.
    In my opinion, I think its clever that the writer uses a philanthropists in the case scenario of this article. A humanitarian known to devote their life to serve the society but through a simple selfish act of not vaccinating their child actually puts the society at a bigger risk. The same concept applies to everyone who refuses to vaccinate their child. Imagine proclaiming your undying love for your child but gambles their life by refusing to provide the best health care available in the form of vaccination.
    Well written, I look forward for more articles like this!

    Posted 6 years ago by Vivienne Silvarajoo · Reply

  • I am absolutely thankful to have found this sort of brilliant article. It totally explains what philanthropists, or people who would want nothing but benefit would actually do. The method of ensuring that everyone is protected from vaccine preventable diseases not only reduces the risk of mortality of yourselves, but also to the others who are at high risk of easily getting many sorts of infections such as those with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    I really hope and do appreciate that those who are against the program of vaccinating their children, or who are commonly known as "anti-vaxxers", would come across this superb article before eventually deciding on continuing to not vaccinate their children.

    Thank you so much author for taking your time to help those who aren't quite clear about why vaccination is so important for everyone.

    Posted 6 years ago by Muhammad Nasir Tsafe · Reply

  • Prevention is better than cure. Herd immunity is very important for those immune compromised community. Well said prof

    Posted 5 years ago by Siti Hajar · Reply