Are Vaccines That Safe? Experts Discuss 8 Popular Theories
-
Infection rates are low in our country
During the past year, you’ve probably heard the words ‘herd immunity’ a lot. This medical theory says that if most of the population becomes immunized from a certain illness, the unimmunized minority will also be protected from the threat.
The basic principle behind the theory is that when so many people are immune to a disease, it simply can’t spread. Herd immunity is crucial in some cases, especially if we think about children, pregnant women or people with underlying illnesses who might not be able to get vaccinated.
Thanks to vaccination, we no longer fear for our lives when we think about illnesses like smallpox, rubeola or whooping cough which could easily kill people (especially children) in the past.
The CDC has been warning for several years that traveling can also expose us to viruses or bacteria that can be life-threatening; this is yet another reason why you should always get the recommended vaccines for the area you’re about to visit.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the most recent example of what can happen if an easily transmittable virus attacks the population without a vaccine at hand. Luckily, though, we can still protect ourselves.
