Everyone else is these days – right?
So, let’s take a quick walk-through recent vaccine history – looking at the disease, when the vaccine was introduced, and the vaccine’s effect on humans.
Smallpox
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 300 million in the 20th century
- Vaccine introduced: 1796
- Vaccine impact: 5 million lives a year saved
Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 160,000 a year worldwide
- Vaccine introduced: 1914
- Vaccine impact: 160,700 lives a year saved
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Tetanus (lockjaw)
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 787,000 a year worldwide
- Vaccine introduced: 1924
- Vaccine impact: 96% reduction in mortality since 1988
Diphtheria
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 15,000 Americans in the 1920s
- Vaccine introduced: 1921
- Vaccine impact: Almost 100% decrease in cases
Measles
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 2.6 million a year worldwide
- Vaccine introduced: 1963
- Vaccine impact: 23.2 million lives saved between 2000-2018
Polio
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: About 50,000 between 1910 and 1960
- Vaccine introduced: 1953
- Vaccine impact: Disease is nearly eradicated worldwide
Seasonal influenza (flu)
- Estimated deaths before widespread immunity: 290,000 to 650,000 a year worldwide
- Vaccine introduced: 1942
- Vaccine impact: Reduces risk of getting sick by up to 60%
(Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/vaccines-have- saved-millions-of-lives-but-history-shows-missteps-can-prove-deadly/ar-BB158szB)
It is painfully obvious that vaccines have saved millions of lives across the globe. This history alone should be enough to convince people that vaccines are very effective. So why is there still hesitancy amongst a large portion of the population to not get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Personally, I think healthcare in general, and the COVID-19 vaccine specifically, has become highly politicized. Misinformation from many sources, most notably social media, has put doubt in many people as to the safety of this vaccine – not to mention some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories regarding the vaccine.
Back when I was young, and there was no social media, my parents relied on the advice of doctors and government health officials regarding vaccinations. Not like today, where someone with a large Twitter following can make a baseless claim and it gets repeated as gospel.
So, to answer my initial question – “Were My Parents Dumb?” when it came time to decide if they were going to get me vaccinated. The answer is no. They listened to reason, science, and made an informed decision. I did the same with my kids when they were young.
That would be my advice as well: look at the science, listen to reason, and get the vaccine.