On Thu, 4 Apr 2013 05:40:49 -0700 (PDT), "John H. Gohde"
<
john.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Apr 4, 7:50锟絘m, Happy Oyster <-*-*.@.*-*-> wrote:
>> On Wed, 3 Apr 2013 03:48:58 -0700 (PDT), "John H. Gohde"
>>
>> <
john.h.go...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >Second point, it takes more than developing a vaccine, Moron! 锟結ou
>> >have to consistently produce a product that is both safe and
>> >effective.
>>
>> Well, like vaccines. Vaccines are tested in hundreds of millions of
>> cases EACH YEAR!
>
>
>I can spot a liar a mile away.
Yes, John H. Gohde is a liar, a vile and rotten liar.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm
<quote>
What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?
In the U.S., vaccination programs have eliminated or significantly
reduced many vaccine-preventable diseases. However, these diseases still
exist and can once again become common锟絘nd deadly锟絠f vaccination
coverage does not continue at high levels.
On this page (Figures and Statistics Updated 2003):
Introduction
Measles
Polio
Type b (Hib) Meningitis
Hepatitis B
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Pneumococcal
Rubella (German Measles)
Varicella (Chickenpox)
Diphtheria
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Mumps
Introduction
In the U.S., vaccines have reduced or eliminated many infectious
diseases that once routinely killed or harmed many infants, children,
and adults. However, the viruses and bacteria that cause
vaccine-preventable disease and death still exist and can be passed on
to people who are not protected by vaccines. Vaccine-preventable
diseases have many social and economic costs: sick children miss school
and can cause parents to lose time from work. These diseases also result
in doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and even premature deaths.
Polio
Stopping vaccination against polio will leave people susceptible to
infection with poliovirus. Polio causes acute paralysis that can lead to
permanent physical disability and even death. Before polio vaccine was
available, 13,000 to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported each
year in the United States. Annual epidemics of polio often left
victims锟絤ostly children锟絠n braces, crutches, wheelchairs, and, in
serious cases, iron lungs. Many of the children that survived
experienced life-long consequences from the disease.
In 1988, the World Health Assembly unanimously agreed to eradicate polio
worldwide. As a result of global polio eradication efforts, the number
of cases reported globally has decreased from more than 350,000 cases in
1988 to 187 cases in 2012 (as of November 14, 2012). Only three
countries remain endemic for polio in 2012: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and
Pakistan. Stopping vaccination before eradication is achieved would
result in a resurgence of this preventable disease and threaten future
generations of children.
This section last updated November 2012.
Measles
Before measles immunization was available, nearly everyone in the U.S.
got measles. An average of 450 measles-associated deaths were reported
each year between 1953 and 1963.
In the U.S., up to 20 percent of persons with measles are hospitalized.
Seventeen percent of measles cases have had one or more complications,
such as ear infections, pneumonia, or diarrhea. Pneumonia is present in
about six percent of cases and accounts for most of the measles deaths.
Although less common, some persons with measles develop encephalitis
(swelling of the lining of the brain), resulting in brain damage.
As many as three of every 1,000 persons with measles will die in the
U.S. In the developing world, the rate is much higher, with death
occurring in about one of every 100 persons with measles.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world and is
frequently imported into the U.S. In the period 1997-2000, most cases
were associated with international visitors or U.S. residents who were
exposed to the measles virus while traveling abroad. More than 90
percent of people who are not immune will get measles if they are
exposed to the virus.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 900,000
measles-related deaths occurred among persons in developing countries in
1999. In populations that are not immune to measles, measles spreads
rapidly. If vaccinations were stopped, each year about 2.7 million
measles deaths worldwide could be expected.
In the U.S., widespread use of measles vaccine has led to a greater than
99 percent reduction in measles compared with the pre-vaccine era. If we
stopped immunization, measles would increase to pre-vaccine levels.
Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) Meningitis
Before Hib vaccine became available, Hib was the most common cause of
bacterial meningitis in U.S. infants and children. Before the vaccine
was developed, there were approximately 20,000 invasive Hib cases
annually. Approximately two-thirds of the 20,000 cases were meningitis,
and one-third were other life-threatening invasive Hib diseases such as
bacteria in the blood, pneumonia, or inflammation of the epiglottis.
About one of every 200 U.S. children under 5 years of age got an
invasive Hib disease. Hib meningitis once killed 600 children each year
and left many survivors with deafness, seizures, or mental retardation.
Since introduction of conjugate Hib vaccine in December 1987, the
incidence of Hib has declined by 98 percent. From 1994-1998, fewer than
10 fatal cases of invasive Hib disease were reported each year.
This preventable disease was a common, devastating illness as recently
as 1990; now, most pediatricians just finishing training have never seen
a case. If we were to stop immunization, we would likely soon return to
the pre-vaccine numbers of invasive Hib disease cases and deaths.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Since the early 1980s, reported pertussis cases have been increasing,
with peaks every 3-5 years; however, the number of reported cases
remains much lower than levels seen in the pre-vaccine era. Compared
with pertussis cases in other age groups, infants who are 6 months old
or younger with pertussis experience the highest rate of
hospitalization, pneumonia, seizures, encephalopathy (a degenerative
disease of the brain) and death. From 2000 through 2008, 181 persons
died from pertussis; 166 of these were less than six months old.
Before pertussis immunizations were available, nearly all children
developed whooping cough. In the U.S., prior to pertussis immunization,
between 150,000 and 260,000 cases of pertussis were reported each year,
with up to 9,000 pertussis-related deaths.
Pertussis can be a severe illness, resulting in prolonged coughing
spells that can last for many weeks. These spells can make it difficult
for a person to eat, drink, and breathe. Because vomiting often occurs
after a coughing spell, persons may lose weight and become dehydrated.
In infants, it can also cause pneumonia and lead to brain damage,
seizures, and mental retardation.
The newer pertussis vaccine (acellular or DTaP) has been available for
use in the United States since 1991 and has been recommended for
exclusive use since 1998. These vaccines are effective and associated
with fewer mild and moderate adverse reactions when compared with the
older (whole-cell DTP) vaccines.
During the 1970s, widespread concerns about the safety of the older
pertussis vaccine led to a rapid fall in immunization levels in the
United Kingdom. More than 100,000 cases and 36 deaths due to pertussis
were reported during an epidemic in the mid 1970s. In Japan, pertussis
vaccination coverage fell from 80 percent in 1974 to 20 percent in 1979.
An epidemic occurred in 1979, resulted in more than 13,000 cases and 41
deaths.
Pertussis cases occur throughout the world. If we stopped pertussis
immunizations in the U.S., we would experience a massive resurgence of
pertussis disease. A study* found that, in eight countries where
immunization coverage was reduced, incidence rates of pertussis surged
to 10 to 100 times the rates in countries where vaccination rates were
sustained.
*Reference for study: Gangarosa EJ, et al. Impact of anti-vaccine
movements on pertussis control: the untold story. Lancet
1998;351:356-61.
This section last updated August 2010.
Pneumococcal
Before pneumococcal conjugate vaccine became available for children,
pneumococcus caused 63,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease and
6,100 deaths in the U.S. each year. Many children who developed
pneumococcal meningitis also developed long-term complications such as
deafness or seizures. Since the vaccine was introduced, the incidence of
invasive pneumococcal disease in children has been reduced by 75%.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine also reduces spread of pneumococcus from
children to adults. In 2003 alone, there were 30,000 fewer cases of
invasive pneumococcal disease caused by strains included in the vaccine,
including 20,000 fewer cases in children and adults too old to receive
the vaccine. If we were to stop immunization, we would likely soon
return to the pre-vaccine numbers of invasive pneumococcal disease cases
and deaths.
This section last updated April 2007.
Rubella (German Measles)
While rubella is usually mild in children and adults, up to 90 percent
of infants born to mothers infected with rubella during the first
trimester of pregnancy will develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS),
resulting in heart defects, cataracts, mental retardation, and deafness.
In 1964-1965, before rubella immunization was used routinely in the
U.S., there was an epidemic of rubella that resulted in an estimated
20,000 infants born with CRS, with 2,100 neonatal deaths and 11,250
miscarriages. Of the 20,000 infants born with CRS, 11,600 were deaf,
3,580 were blind, and 1,800 were mentally retarded.
Due to the widespread use of rubella vaccine, only six CRS cases were
provisionally reported in the U.S. in 2000. Because many developing
countries do not include rubella in the childhood immunization schedule,
many of these cases occurred in foreign-born adults. Since 1996, greater
than 50 percent of the reported rubella cases have been among adults.
Since 1999, there have been 40 pregnant women infected with rubella.
If we stopped rubella immunization, immunity to rubella would decline
and rubella would once again return, resulting in pregnant women
becoming infected with rubella and then giving birth to infants with
CRS.
Varicella (Chickenpox)
Prior to the licensing of the chickenpox vaccine in 1995, almost all
persons in the United States had suffered from chickenpox by adulthood.
Each year, the virus caused an estimated 4 million cases of chickenpox,
11,000 hospitalizations, and 100-150 deaths.
A highly contagious disease, chickenpox is usually mild but can be
severe in some persons. Infants, adolescents and adults, pregnant women,
and immunocompromised persons are at particular risk for serious
complications including secondary bacterial infections, loss of fluids
(dehydration), pneumonia, and central nervous system involvement. The
availability of the chickenpox vaccine and its subsequent widespread use
has had a major impact on reducing cases of chickenpox and related
morbidity, hospitalizations, and deaths. In some areas, cases have
decreased as much as 90% over prevaccination numbers.
If vaccination against chickenpox were to stop, the disease would
eventually return to prevaccination rates, with virtually all
susceptible persons becoming infected with the virus at some point in
their lives.
This section last updated June 2011.
Hepatitis B
More than 2 billion persons worldwide have been infected with the
hepatitis B virus at some time in their lives. Of these, 350 million are
life-long carriers of the disease and can transmit the virus to others.
One million of these people die each year from liver disease and liver
cancer.
National studies have shown that about 12.5 million Americans have been
infected with hepatitis B virus at some point in their lifetime. One and
one quarter million Americans are estimated to have chronic
(long-lasting) infection, of whom 20 percent to 30 percent acquired
their infection in childhood. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection
increases a person's risk for chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and
liver cancer. About 5,000 persons will die each year from hepatitis
B-related liver disease resulting in over $700 million in medical and
work loss costs.
The number of new infections per year has declined from an average of
450,000 in the 1980s to about 80,000 in 1999. The greatest decline has
occurred among children and adolescents due to routine hepatitis B
vaccination.
Infants and children who become infected with hepatitis B virus are at
highest risk of developing lifelong infection, which often leads to
death from liver disease (cirrhosis) and liver cancer. Approximately 25
percent of children who become infected with life-long hepatitis B virus
would be expected to die of related liver disease as adults.
CDC estimates that one-third of the life-long hepatitis B virus
infections in the United States resulted from infections occurring in
infants and young children. About 16,000 - 20,000 hepatitis B antigen
infected women give birth each year in the United States. It is
estimated that 12,000 children born to hepatitis B virus infected
mothers were infected each year before implementation of infant
immunization programs. In addition, approximately 33,000 children (10
years of age and younger) of mothers who are not infected with hepatitis
B virus were infected each year before routine recommendation of
childhood hepatitis B vaccination.
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a serious disease caused by a bacterium. This germ
produces a poisonous substance or toxin which frequently causes heart
and nerve problems. The case fatality rate is 5 percent to 10 percent,
with higher case-fatality rates (up to 20 percent) in the very young and
the elderly.
In the 1920's, diphtheria was a major cause of illness and death for
children in the U.S. In 1921, a total of 206,000 cases and 15,520 deaths
were reported. With vaccine development in 1923, new cases of diphtheria
began to fall in the U.S., until in 2001 only two cases were reported.
Although diphtheria is rare in the U.S., it appears that the bacteria
continue to get passed among people. In 1996, 10 isolates of the
bacteria were obtained from persons in an American Indian community in
South Dakota, none of whom had classic diphtheria disease. There was one
death reported in 2003 from clinical diphtheria in a 63 year old male
who had never been vaccinated.
There are high rates of susceptibility among adults. Screening tests
conducted since 1977 have shown that 41 percent to 84 percent of adults
60 and over lack protective levels of circulating antitoxin against
diphtheria.
Although diphtheria is rare in the U.S., it is still a threat.
Diphtheria is common in other parts of the world and with the increase
in international travel, diphtheria and other infectious diseases are
only a plane ride away. If we stopped immunization, the U.S. might
experience a situation similar to the Newly Independent States of the
former Soviet Union. With the breakdown of the public health services in
this area, diphtheria epidemics began in 1990, fueled primarily by
persons who were not properly vaccinated. From 1990-1999, more than
150,000 cases and 5,000 deaths were reported.
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
Tetanus is a severe, often fatal disease. The bacteria that cause
tetanus are widely distributed in soil and street dust, are found in the
waste of many animals, and are very resistant to heat and germ-killing
cleaners. From 1922-1926, there were an estimated 1,314 cases of tetanus
per year in the U.S. In the late 1940's, the tetanus vaccine was
introduced, and tetanus became a disease that was officially counted and
tracked by public health officials. In 2000, only 41 cases of tetanus
were reported in the U.S.
People who get tetanus suffer from stiffness and spasms of the muscles.
The larynx (throat) can close causing breathing and eating difficulties,
muscles spasms can cause fractures (breaks) of the spine and long bones,
and some people go into a coma, and die. Approximately 20 percent of
reported cases end in death.
Tetanus in the U.S. is primarily a disease of adults, but unvaccinated
children and infants of unvaccinated mothers are also at risk for
tetanus and neonatal tetanus, respectively. From 1995-1997, 33 percent
of reported cases of tetanus occurred among persons 60 years of age or
older and 60 percent occurred in patients greater than 40 years of age.
The National Health Interview Survey found that in 1995, only 36 percent
of adults 65 or older had received a tetanus vaccination during the
preceding 10 years.
Worldwide, tetanus in newborn infants continues to be a huge problem.
Every year tetanus kills 300,000 newborns and 30,000 birth mothers who
were not properly vaccinated. Even though the number of reported cases
is low, an increased number of tetanus cases in younger persons has been
observed recently in the U.S. among intravenous drug users, particularly
heroin users.
Tetanus is infectious, but not contagious, so unlike other
vaccine-preventable diseases, immunization by members of the community
will not protect others from the disease. Because tetanus bacteria are
widespread in the environment, tetanus can only be prevented by
immunization. If vaccination against tetanus were stopped, persons of
all ages in the U.S. would be susceptible to this serious disease.
Mumps
Before the mumps vaccine was introduced, mumps was a major cause of
deafness in children, occurring in approximately 1 in 20,000 reported
cases. Mumps is usually a mild viral disease. However, serious
complications, such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) can
occur rarely. Prior to mumps vaccine, mumps encephalitis was the leading
cause of viral encephalitis in the United States, but is now rarely
seen.
Serious side effects of mumps are more common among adults than
children. Swelling of the testes is the most common side effect in males
past the age of puberty, occurring in up to 37 percent of post-pubertal
males who contract mumps. An increase in miscarriages has been found
among women who develop mumps during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Before there was a vaccine against mumps, mumps was a very common
disease in U.S. children, with as many as 300,000 cases reported every
year. After vaccine licensure in 1967, reports of mumps decreased
rapidly. In 1986 and 1987, there was a resurgence of mumps with 12,848
cases reported in 1987. Since 1989, the incidence of mumps has declined,
with 266 reported cases in 2001. This recent decrease is probably due to
the fact that children have received a second dose of mumps vaccine
(part of the two-dose schedule for measles, mumps, rubella or MMR).
Studies have shown that the effectiveness of mumps vaccine ranges from
73% to 91% after 1 dose and from 79% to 95% after 2 doses and that 2
doses are more effective than 1 dose.
We can not let our guard down against mumps. A 2006 outbreak among
college students led to over 6500 cases and a 2009-10 outbreak in the
tradition-observant Jewish community in 2 states led to over 3400 cases.
Mumps is a communicable disease and while prolonged close contact among
persons my facilitate transmission, maintenance of high 2-dose MMR
vaccine coverage remains the most effective way to prevent and limit the
size of mumps outbreaks.
This section last updated July 2010.
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Content last reviewed on May 24, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory
Diseases
</quote>