The Importance of Herd Immunity/Protection (Research Paper Example)

Does Everyone Really Need to be Vaccinated? Since the first vaccine, created by Edward Jenner in the late 1700s, there have been those who oppose the idea of a vaccine. This mindset is referred to as vaccine hesitancy, which is described as “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services ... It includes factors such as complacency, convenience, and confidence” (Jarrett, Caitlin, et al., 1). The effects of vaccine hesitancy are clear in the emergence of viruses that were previously declared eliminated, such as measles, with cases rising due to anti-vaccination (“anti-vax”) movements. Continued voluntary vaccinations by non-immunocompromised peoples is the most efficient way to protect against epidemics, via herd immunity. 

An increasing number of people have begun to forgo vaccinations, for both themselves and their family members; this is typically in relation to homeopathic medical practices, and mainly occurs in developed nations. Often, the belief is that the body can sustain itself, and thus it does not require medical intervention to protect against a certain virus or bacteria. While this is true to an extent, vaccine technology has been essential in reducing global mortality rates, with the World Health Organization (WHO), reporting, “[An estimated] 2–3 million lives are saved each year by current immunization programs, contributing to the marked reduction in mortality of children less than 5 years of age globally from 93 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 39 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018” (Pollard, Andrew J, and Else M Bijker, 1; WHO). This estimated reduction from 93:1000 to 39:1000, represents a 58% reduction in early childhood mortality, along with the WHO acknowledging immunization programs as the leading factor. 

While these statistics may seem to indicate the efficacy of vaccinations, as aforementioned, the foundations of vaccine hesitancy tend to be rooted in complacency, convenience, and confidence (Jarrett, Caitlin, et al., 1). Which are typically related to a person's mindset, as opposed to empirical data, making vaccine encouragement initiatives hard to structure.

When it comes to approaching those with vaccine hesitancy, research has found that methods involving simply speaking with said person, are more effective in increasing their likelihood of receiving a vaccination. In one such study, the conclusion states:

Efforts to address issues of hesitancy are disparate. While a number of interventions did have a positive effect …  the high level of heterogeneity across study design and outcomes, coupled with few available studies, further limited our ability to draw any general conclusions about the effectiveness of different strategies.

Nonetheless, interventions to increase uptake that are multicomponent and/or have a focus on dialogue-based approaches tend to perform better …  The evidence for non-financial incentives and reminder-recall activities was also of good quality and carries the potential to bring positive change by addressing the more practical aspects of vaccination. (Jarrett, Caitlin, et al., 7)

This information (while self-admittedly collected on a small scale), gives rise to the conclusion that dialogue may be the key to increasing voluntary vaccinations. A few papers similar to the one above focused on herd immunity, education. The thought process behind this is likely that humans are more willing to adapt behaviors when they are shown that they are not the only ones affected by their decisions.

Herd immunity is a word that is often used by those who take a pro-vaccine stance. This term refers to, “Immunity to the unimmunized individual by the secondary spread of the attenuated viruses or bacteria in the vaccine when shed” (Paul, Yash., 1). Meaning that herd immunity (as described by this paper) is when people who choose not to be vaccinated, or cannot be vaccinated, end up essentially receiving the weakened virus/bacteria that is present in the inoculation, from those around them. Often, when people say ‘herd immunity’, they are actually referring to what Paul, and Yash., call ‘herd protection’. Herd protection is described as, “Protection to the unimmunized individual without inducing immunity, virtually by breaking the transmission of the infection or lessening the chances of susceptible coming in contact with infective individuals” (Paul, Yash., 1). The goal of herd protection is to vaccinate a majority of a population and therefore decrease the likelihood of immunocompromised individuals coming in contact with a contagious person.  While this technique has been shown to be effective, it does not come without caveats. The primary issue being that under herd protection, non-vaccinated people will not develop immunity to the contagion, but retain protection because of a decline in infection (Paul, Yash., 1). This leaves herd protection as a major facet of disease prevention, for people who cannot be vaccinated for medical purposes. 

As anti-vaccination movements spread throughout social media, and other mediums, some individuals began attempting to correlate vaccinations to genetic disorders, namely autism, and Down's syndrome. As best put by Taylor, Brent, et al., “The study by Wakefield … suggesting an association between measles-containing vaccines and inflammatory bowel disease (not confirmed in their subsequent studies) received much media attention … The consequences of these events are that many children are now at risk of measles, mumps, and rubella, and that the possibility of eradication of measles has been delayed” (pg. 2028-2029). The willingness for media groups to latch onto these studies, before the theories they propose have been fully validated, has severely damaged the reputation of the medical community, and moreover vaccinations as a whole. The link between autism and the MMR vaccine has been debated, with a study stating, “We looked for evidence of a possible causal association between MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination and onset of autism … The age at diagnosis was found to be independent of whether MMR vaccine was given … None of these analyses suggest a causal association between MMR vaccination and autism” (Taylor, Brent, et al., 2028-2029). The findings of this study and other similar ones have yet to dissuade ‘anti-vax’ groups from using the inaccurate correlation between MMR vaccination and autism. So what can be done to encourage vaccinations, as well as protect vulnerable populations?

Firstly, willing participation in vaccinations by all those who can receive them. This is the best way to protect the population, as well as to create a domino effect, in which someone else may be inspired to get themselves vaccinated after seeing a friend or family member receive one. Secondly, mature and organized discourse is the best way to approach a vaccine-hesitant individual, anger will only serve to disincentivize. Thirdly, research information for yourself, the spread of false information, specifically relating to medicine, is becoming more prevalent. And to answer the question of, “Does everyone really need to be vaccinated?”, unless otherwise advised by a medical professional, the answer is an astounding yes, not only are you protecting yourself, but also your loved ones, and people who cannot receive the vaccine themselves.

Works Cited

Jarrett, C., Wilson, R., O'Leary, M., Eckersberger, E., & Larson, H. J. (2015). Strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy - A systematic review. Vaccine, 33(34), 4180-4190. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.040

Paul, Yash. "Herd Immunity and Herd Protection." Vaccine, vol. 22, no. 3, 2004, pp. 301-302. ProQuest, https://login.proxy024.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/herd-immunity-protection/docview/1546859455/se-2?accountid=9819, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2003.07.016.

Pollard, Andrew J, and Else M Bijker. “A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments.” Nature reviews. Immunology vol. 21,2 (2021): 83-100. doi:10.1038/s41577-020-00479-7

Taylor, Brent, et al. "Autism and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine: No Epidemiological Evidence for a Causal Association." The Lancet, vol. 353, no. 9169, 1999, pp. 2026-9. ProQuest, https://login.proxy024.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/autism-measles-mumps-rubella-vaccine-no/docview/198983359/se-2?accountid=9819, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(99)01239-8.