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You’ve most likely never met a person with polio, measles, or a mumps infection. But, only a few decades ago, everyone knew these diseases. They made millions of people sick. Many died.
People today don’t fear these diseases any more. It’s because we now have vaccines to protect us.
Vaccines: before and after
The chart below shows how vaccines have helped reduce the rate of certain naturally occurring diseases:
| Disease | Before the Vaccine
Average number of
cases reported per year | After the Vaccine
Number of reported cases
in the US in 2005 |
| Diphtheria | 175,885 | 0 |
| Measles | 503,282 | 66 |
| Mumps | 152,209 | 314 |
| Paralytic polio | 16,316 | 0 |
| Whooping cough | 147,271 | 25,616 |
Vaccines can even wipe out diseases. Smallpox used to kill millions of people worldwide every year. But, thanks to a vaccine, it’s gone. The last case of smallpox reported anywhere was in 1977. Now, no one needs shots for it anymore.
What would happen if we stopped vaccinating?
Many diseases are now rare in the US. So you might wonder why we still need shots for them. These diseases are rare because of vaccines.
They aren’t gone. Some are common in other countries. Many of these diseases can be passed on to people who are not protected by vaccines. Visitors to this country and US travelers coming home from abroad can bring these diseases into the US. If we were not protected by vaccinations, then they could spread quickly here.
If we stopped vaccinating, then these diseases could become common again in the US. Many people would become sick. Many would be put into the hospital. Some would be disabled for life. Others would die.
Luckily, we live in a time and place where dangerous diseases, like measles or diphtheria, are rare. But, if we want to keep them that way, or better yet, wipe them out, then we have to do our part. Talk with your doctor about vaccinations for you and your family.
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