Vaccine-Preventable Disease
Education about vaccinations and how they work
Overview
Since vaccines were introduced, many infectious diseases like polio and smallpox, once common in the U.S. and around the world, have been reduced or eliminated. However, as these diseases have become less common, the perception can be that they aren’t serious or that they’re unlikely to catch them.
Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a serious threat and can cause big problems, such as high-cost doctor visits, missed work or school, hospital stays, and even death. Vaccines protect not only the people who get them but also those around them.
Vaccines work!
CDC statistics demonstrate that there have been dramatic declines in vaccine-preventable diseases when compared with the pre-vaccine era.
Vaccines use the body’s natural defense system to help create immunity. They trigger the same immune response that a germ might trigger, but do not cause illness. Immune protection benefits not only an individual, but it can help protect others in the family and community. By immunizing yourself, you can also protect those around you who:
- Have weakened immune systems
- Cannot get vaccinated because they are too young, too old, or have certain medical conditions
- Are not yet fully immunized