The Costs of Vaccine Preventable Disease
Airman 1st Class Andrew McCutchen receives an immunization. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Bevier
Parents are asked to approve a variety of immunizations for their children. The various recommended vaccines are given beginning within a few months of birth and continue for the next dozen years and more. Some parents believe, without a scientific basis, that vaccines routinely harm children and that children are better off unvaccinated.
The United States Army has some experience with infectious disease. They keep records. The historical data for some diseases which we now prevent with a vaccine is available on line. Here are just some of the costs to the Army and the troops.
| Illness | Years | Deaths | Discharges | Cases | Days Lost |
| Diphtheria | 1917-19 | 177 | 80 | 10,907 | 317,050 |
| Measles | 1917-19 | 2,367 | 149 | 96,817 | 1,864,477 |
| Mumps | 1917-19 | 0 | 52 | 229,680 | 3,874,722 |
| Smallpox | Civil War | 4,417 | 12,236 |
Registered nurse 2nd Lt. Rebeccah Collins vaccinates Alexia Woods, 12, for chicken pox and meningitis during the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center School Physicals and Immunization Clinic at Fort Hood, Texas. Photo by Jeri Chappelle, CRDAMC Public Affairs
The United States population is estimated to be 313,515,695 as of May 10, 2012. Let’s look at the case counts for these illnesses for the year 2011, the last full year.
Diphtheria – 0 No reported cases in the U.S. since 2003.
Measles – 222 cases
Mumps – 370 cases
Smallpox – 0 No reported cases since 1949.
Look at the difference that routine immunizations make. Each case of mumps, for example, cost the Army 17 days back during World War I. The 2011 case count for mumps is 0.16 percent of the Army total. The savings in days out of work due to mumps is clear.
Add in the people who did not die from diphtheria or smallpox. Add in the reduction in illness related disabilities. Immunization for vaccine preventable diseases saves lives and money.
the attachments to this post:
immunization-1
Mobile Immunizations 100 percent up to date
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 8:00 am and is filed under Original writing, Analysis, Medicine, Military, Original writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
