Measles
Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.
In 2013, there were 145 700 measles deaths globally – about 400 deaths every day or 16 deaths every hour.
Measles vaccination resulted in a 75% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2013 worldwide.
In 2013, about 84% of the world's children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services – up from 73% in 2000.
During 2000-2013, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 15.6 million deaths making measles vaccine one of the best buys in public health.
Yes, but if we get measles in our wonderful health care system everything will be just fine and dandy
Treatment
No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.
Vitamin A supplements have been shown to reduce the number of deaths from measles by 50%.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
In 2012, 48,277 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) were reported in the U.S., but many more go undiagnosed and unreported. This is the most number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1955 when 62,786 cases were reported.
Seriously, and we know why, don't we?
Worldwide, there are an estimated 16 million cases of pertussis and about 195,000 deaths per year.
Before the DTaP shot was given routinely to infants, about 8,000 people in the United States died each year from whooping cough.
Today, because of the vaccine, this number has dropped to fewer than 40.
Polio-Poliomyelitis
Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an
estimated 350 000 cases then, to 416 reported cases in 2013. The reduction is the result of the global effort to eradicate the disease.
In 2014, only 3 countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan) remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988.
As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio. Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 200 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world.
In most countries, the global effort has expanded capacities to tackle other infectious diseases by building effective surveillance and immunization systems
Diphtheria
Diphtheria affects people of all ages, but most often it strikes unimmunized children. In temperate climates, diphtheria tends to occur during the colder months. In 2000, 30 000 cases and 3000 deaths of diphtheria were reported worldwide.
Rubella
Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults.
Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
Worldwide, an estimated 110 000 babies are born with CRS every year.
There is no specific treatment for rubella but the disease is preventable by vaccination.
UNICEF responds by:
Providing high-impact health and nutrition interventions. In partnership with governments, WHO and others, UNICEF aims to scale up proven, high-impact, cost-effective health and nutrition interventions to reduce the number of neonatal and young child deaths from preventable and easily treatable causes.
UNICEF is the world’s largest purchaser of vaccines, procuring more than 40 per cent of all vaccines used in the developing world. While global immunization rates have risen from less than 20 per cent in the 1970s to about 74 per cent in 2002, millions of children must still be reached. UNICEF negotiates favourable prices and forecasts vaccines requirements to ensure sustainable supplies. Targets include increasing immunization coverage to at least 90 per cent at the national level and 80 per cent in all districts, with particular focus on reaching population groups with low coverage levels, and the final eradication of polio.
When delivering vaccines UNICEF adds micronutrient supplements to offset malnutrition, another critical factor in child survival. Supplements of vitamin A taken every four to six months can reduce child mortality from all causes by as much as 23 per cent, measles deaths by 50 per cent and deaths from diarrhoea by 33 per cent.
Another target in this area is increasing the rate of children sleeping under mosquito nets to at least 60 per cent in
malaria-endemic areas. Malaria is responsible for 10 per cent of all under-five deaths in developing countries.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poor neonatal conditions are the most prominent cause of young deaths. Four million babies per year die in the first week of life. In response, UNICEF advocates for and promotes programmes to increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding. The strongest foundation of baby health is nutrition, and the best food for newborns is breast milk. Breastfeeding protects babies from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, stimulates their immune systems and improves response to vaccinations, and contains many hundreds of health-enhancing molecules, enzymes, proteins and hormones.
A mother’s health is also critical to newborns, particularly in light of new research that suggests a sound neonatal environment is an important predictor of future health. Together with the WHO and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF advocates and lends technical and financial support to comprehensive community health programs for expectant women. This would ideally include providing micronutrient supplements, vaccines, anti-malarial drugs and insecticide-treated bed nets.
The antivaxers want to undo this work, it is simply inexcusable.
Yes
I'm still bloody angry.
Oh and this WHO factsheet might make some useful reading for the antivaxer crowd.
Yeah, I know, teh evil WHO.
I regard this as a supplement to my previous diary