SOME OF THE TRIUMPHS OF VACCINATION

The greatest triumph is the eradication of smallpox from the planet, with no naturally-occurring cases having been found since 1977. “Naturally-occurring” because one case (fatal) occurred later following the accidental release of the virus in a laboratory. As far as the public knows, smallpox virus now exists only in laboratories in the U.S. and Russia. There is currently a vigorous debate as to weather these should be destroyed. If smallpox ever should get back out into the environment, the results could be devastating because smallpox vaccination is no longer given and so the population fully susceptible to the disease grows year by year.

A program to try to eliminate polio from the world is now underway. Except for cases caused by OPV, the disease has now been eliminate from the Western hemisphere. Outbreaks of polio still occur in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of the Near East.

This table compares the number of cases of illness in the U.S. in a representative year (either before a vaccine was available or before it came into widespread used) with the number of cases reported in 1994.

*Since 1979, an average of 8 cases of poliomyelitis have occurred in the U.S. each year that are acquired from the vaccine (OPV, the Sabin vaccine) itself. For this reason, the “killed” virus vaccine (IPV, the Salk vaccine) is  being reintroduced. As of June 17, 1999, it is recommended that in the future all children receive 4  doses of the Salk vaccine and - except in special circumstances - none of the Sabin vaccine.