Why Immunisation Is More Important Than Ever

Since the first vaccination was created in 1769, vaccination protocols have saved millions of lives around the world. We take a brief look at why vaccines are so important, and why you need to stay up-to-date with your GPs recommended vaccine schedule – to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

Why Are Vaccines Important?

Immunisation prevents between 3.5 – 5 million deaths every year, all across the world. Vaccination schedules have been triumphant in preventing over 30 life threatening diseases and infections, including polio, diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and measles.

With the increase in communicable diseases – such as COVID-19, RSV, Influenza, Shingles, and recent outbreaks of Whooping Cough and Measles, remaining up-to-date is more important than ever to ensure your immune system can fight off infection as effectively as possible, while supporting herd immunity to keep our communities safe, especially those who are immuno-compromised or are otherwise unable to vaccinate.

Immunisations are also a key function of global health security, and a vital weapon against fast-growing rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Protection throughout flu season

COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV are three unique viruses that circulate throughout the year, but reach their peak during the colder months when we all spend more time indoors. As these illnesses are unrelated, the antibodies made by your immune system after falling ill with one virus, will do nothing to protect you from the others. In fact, it will likely weaken your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to contracting a secondary infection, or developing complications, such as pneumonia.

Vaccinations are the best way to prevent the likelihood of catching Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, while reducing the severity of symptoms.

Reducing mortality in infants and children

In a major modelling study by the World Health Organisation, researchers were able to crystalise the effects of the Expanded Program of Immunisation – 50 years of vaccination across the globe. Since the program began in 1974, vaccinations have averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million children under the age of 5 years. Other findings included:

• Vaccinations saved the life of 101 million infants under the age of 1.
• For every life saved, 66 years of good health was gained, on average.
• Vaccination accounted for a 40% decline across global infant mortality rates.

Case Study: Polio Myelitis

One of the greatest testaments to the success of vaccines is the breakthrough of the polio vaccine, created by US Virologist and Biomedical Scientist Dr Jonas Salk. Poliomyelitis (commonly known as polio) was a devastating communicable disease that killed or paralysed over half a million people every year. Survivors experienced lifelong, permanent bodily deformations requiring crutches, wheelchairs, and the purpose-designed iron lung to help sufferers breathe. In 1955, Dr Salk announced the successful trial of the world’s first polio vaccine, and a successful, funded program rolled-out across the US. By 1957, annual cases in the US had fallen from 58,000, to 5,600. By 1961 reported cases fell to 161.

As of July 2021, only two cases of polio has been recorded globally – one in Pakistan, and one in Afghanistan.

Case Study: Whooping Cough

Prior to the introduction of the whooping cough vaccine in 1942, fatality rates for children who contracted whooping cough (also called pertussis) were approximately 300 deaths per year. By 1943, the following year after the introduction of the vaccination program, this number had fallen to 22 fatal cases. By 1982 this figure fell further to less than 2 fatal cases per year, where it has remained up until at least 2022 (records for 2022 and beyond currently not accessible).

Global health security

The world has never been so connected; In 2023, the world’s airlines carried a total of 4.4 billion passengers to domestic and international destinations, while most modern supply chains involve multiple countries. Our global connectivity means there is increased importance on working together to address health threats that can cross borders. To protect the planet from future pandemics and major disease outbreaks, we must work cooperatively to maintain health across different countries, with different standards of health infrastructure. Standardised vaccination protocols is just one tool in the effort to maintain global health security.

Antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial Resistance, or AMR occurs when infection-causing germs (bacteria, fungus and viruses) evolve to resist the medicines developed to treat them. This can happen for a number of reasons; while evolution is a natural part of the bacteria growth cycle, humans have been highly reliant on the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial; antibiotics.

Like vaccines, antibiotics are considered a pillar of modern medicine, and have saved millions of lives since their widespread use began in the 1940s to treat common but potentially deadly infections. Antibiotics are now heavy relied upon as a first-response, and many forms of bacteria responsible for common infections are now resistant to a large number of antibiotics, rendering them ineffective as a treatment.

With very few new antibiotics developed and entering the market, AMR is recognised as one of the most important global health and development threats. While there is a major push to support the development of new antibiotics, we need to eliminate the risk of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance in the first place, the best way to do this is to prevent the infection; via vaccination.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccines work by producing an immune response to an illness, without causing the illness. There are many types of vaccines, but essentially, all vaccines use weakened or dead viruses to give our body an opportunity to learn what a particular virus looks like, and develop a strong immune response to it.

The next time the virus enters your body, your immune system will be able to recognise it, and immediately begin to fight it off. You may experience some symptoms, or none at all.

Various Kinds Of Vaccines

There are multiple kinds of vaccines, but the primary modes of vaccine delivery can be catergorised as:

Live Attenuated Vaccines: These vaccines used a weakened (attenuated) version of a live virus. The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), chickenpox and rotavirus vaccines are examples of live attenuated vaccines.

Inactivated Vaccines: These vaccines use a dead version of the virus or bacteria to stimulate an immune response. Polio, Hepatitis A, and some flu vaccines are examples of inactivated vaccines.

Subunit Vaccines: Subunit vaccines use specific parts of a virus or bacteria to trigger an immune response. HPV, Whooping Cough and some Pneumococcal jabs are subunit vaccines.

Toxoid Vaccines: These vaccines use inactivated toxins produced by the bacteria, rather than the bacteria itself, to trigger the body into creating antibodies to fight these toxins. These are used in tetanus and diptheria vaccines.

mRNA Vaccines: These vaccines use the genetic code of a pathogen or virus to tell the body to create a protein unique to the virus. This does not make the vaccinated person sick, but does trigger an immune response that creates antibodies to fight off future infections. Some COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines.

Viral Vector Vaccines: These vaccines also use a modified piece of a virus’ genonome, called a ‘vector’. This vector provides the body enough information about the virus so it can develop an immune response. The Ebola and some COVID-19 vaccines used this delivery method.

Herd immunity

Herd immunity is the point at which so many members of a group are vaccinated against a particular pathogen, it has become difficult or impossible for that pathogen to move through the group. When this occurs, everyone – including those particularly vulnerable to specific viruses, or those who cannot get vaccinated, are also protected by herd immunity. Achieving herd immunity is an important step in eliminating or eradicating infections and diseases.

Reaching ‘herd immunity’ is determined by the percentage of people vaccinated, in conjunction with how much a virus mutates or evolves to become resistant to vaccination efforts. Viruses that mutate very quickly, like the flu or COVID-19, may never reach herd immunity. Illnesses like whopping cough, mumps, rubella and pneumococcal diseases have all reached herd immunity status in Australia.

It is also possible to lose herd immunity status, and the US is currently experiencing the largest measles outbreak in a quarter of a century due to poor vaccination and under-vaccination (missing one to two doses) rates. Measles – considered the most contagious human disease, was considered eliminated in the US in 2000, but it is possible that the US may lose this hard-won status by the end of the year.

Successful Eradication: Smallpox

Smallpox is a highly contagious and aggressive disease that is believed to have existed for more than 3000 years, and was responsible for the deaths of 200-300 million people during the 20th Century alone. As the illness could only be contracted by individuals who had not had the disease before, children were disproportionately affected. In 17th Century Britain, small children were not considered full members of the family until they had survived their smallpox infection.*

Created by Dr Edward Jenner, the smallpox vaccine was the first ever vaccine to be developed. In 1967, the World Health Organisation launched an intensive global vaccination and surveillance program. By 1980, the disease was declared officially eradicated. Smallpox is the only human disease with eradicated status.

*Kotar, S., & Gessler, J. (2013). Smallpox: A History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. Partly available on google books.

What Vaccines Do I Need?

You personal vaccine schedule should be developed by your GP, and take into consideration your age, overall health, allergies, and travel plans. Australia’s National Immunisation Program details a comprehensive list of vaccinations for varying cohorts of the country.

These immunisations are free of charge, with nothing to pay but your doctor’s consultation fee:

Age	Disease
Pregnant women	Influenza, pertussis (whooping cough) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)  – See Immunisation for pregnancy
All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults	Influenza
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults 50 years and over	Pneumococcal and shingles
People 65 years and over	Influenza and shingles
People 70 years and over	Pneumococcal

What About Risks?

All medications pose some level of risk, but the safety of vaccinations and their possible side effects have been studied across the largest data set available – billions of people have received vaccinations. Recently, a study conducted by the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark released a landmark study focused on some common concerns around vaccination: Analysing data from over 1 million children, a Danish register-based study found no increased risk of autism, asthma, or autoimmune diseases in vaccinated children.

Vaccines are subject to extensive, rigorous testing and research, but that doesn’t mean you cannot have questions and concerns about how some medications may affect you. With the bombardment of media available these days, it can be difficult to know where to seek information. Australia has one of the top medical systems in the world, and Australian Government Department of Health, and World Health Organisation websites are collated by global leaders in medical research.

At the end of the day, though, the best resource for personalised, medical information is your GP.

Learn More About Vaccinations

To learn more about your recommended vaccinations, and whether you and your family are up-to-date, book an appointment with your GP.