[QUOTE=Levianon17;1062003244]Some vaccines have eradicated disease such as Polio and that's even debatable. Some vaccines have even ruined lives. It's really a chance you're taking especially with a new vaccine and a new virus. It takes a long time to perfect a vaccine for safety and effectiveness. We are a drug happy society. Drug Companies want to make money so they rush to put something out there. People have a perverted attitude about vaccines. They think if people don't get a flu shot they are a social threat to those that do. A long time question within Public Health and Epidemiology is "Within any given population or group why does one person get sick and another doesn't" even considering all members of the group are subjected to the same or similar conditions. In 2018 in the United states alone 61,000 people lost their lives to the Flu and we have a vaccine for it. Now, I have no information to how many took the Flu shot and how many didn't among the number of deceased, but you can bet it's both. I didn't take the Flu shot that year and I traveled to Chicago. I went from a state that was about forty degrees warmer than Illinois and I didn't get sick and I was 60 years old. In 2018 in the United states alone 61,000 people lost their lives to the Flu and we have a vaccine for it. Now, I have no information to how many took the Flu shot and how many didn't among the number of deceased, but you can bet it's both. So with this Covid-19 we don't know what it's going to do or how many more will become ill or die. What we are doing right now with Social Distancing we have nothing to compare it to in terms of reducing the spread. But we are doing something different and at best it's just psychological.
Response -
Polio (infectious poliomyelitis) - the beginning of vaccines and public health was the Salk and Sabin vaccinies - and polio has been mostly controlled in the world Except in some primitive, Islamic-controlled areas ini Pakistan and Afghanistan where vaccines are called a Western plot to destroy islam by their leaders. Polio is still endemic in those areas due to political issues. It could have been wiped out on the earth - unfortunately -the ignorance and primitivism prevented that. These areas are still a risk factor to advanced Western areas - as the cohort of un-vaccinated individuals are at risk to exposure to Ones exposed to the virus- and importing it into the US and other areas and exposing and infecting individuals at risk for infection.
Small pox has been effectively wiped of the Earth - by vaccination and her immunity. The only small pox specimens left are in the control of the US and Russia. Purportedly to keep samples to reformuulate vaccine if that became necessary. There are rumors of some other authoritarian regimes with samples reserved for biologic warfare. Unconfirmed - naturally!
At this time - thanks to vaccines - smallpox is eradicated from the planet - effectively.
Vaccines are very rarely the cause of severe injury to a patient. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a Federal program to compensate the very rare victims of severe vaccine injury .
https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html
Mercury in vaccines - no vaccine developed since 19999 has any thimerosol or mercury. Those still containing it have minute amounts. Some vaccines have non-mercury formulations available.
It does take a long time for traditional vaccines to be proven to be "safe and efficacious" - with US trials only accepted by the FDA. I would remind the readership tht thalidomide - which caused extremity deformities in fetus of pregnant women - was never released for use in the US due to study concerns. The FDA prevented that happening i the US, as it did ini Europe.
Companies are trying to fast track studies for a vaccine for coronavirus -19 - there are many issues to be met - among them the virus mutability and difficulty of an effective vaccine.
The Influenza virus vaccines are formulated yearly toward to predicted nature of the virus for the oncoming season - and sometimes the vaccine formulation is less effective. Average is about 50% in preventing disease, and those who do get influenza a after vaccination tend strongly to have less severe disease. Severe reactions and injuries from flu vaccine are very uncommon.
"A long time question within Public Health and Epidemiology is "Within any given population or group why does one person get sick and another doesn't" even considering all members of the group are subjected to the same or similar conditions. " - The question quoted is incorrect - the question is - perhaps best stated by the core mission statement of the US Public health Association :
Vision
Create the healthiest nation in one generation
Mission
Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status
What we do
The American Public Health Association works to advance the health of all people and all communities. As the nation’s leading public health organization, APHA strengthens the impact of public health professionals and provides a science-based voice in policy debates too often driven by emotion, ideology or financial interests. APHA is at the forefront of efforts to advance prevention, reduce health disparities and promote wellness.
Public health is about the population as a whole or in great numbers - not individual care of patients. In general!
As for the statement regarding :"In 2018 in the United states alone 61,000 people lost their lives to the Flu and we have a vaccine for it. Now, I have no information to how many took the Flu shot and how many didn't among the number of deceased, but you can bet it's both."
It is admitted you have no information - it is just speculation on your part. Other than the number of fatalities for 2018 for Influenza virus - I have not checked the number - but it is about right IMHO. Many of those deaths are elderly or those with underlying diseases. Vaccines are not perfect - and no medical therapeutic regimen is ever perfect - as humans are not perfect. As presented previously - the efficacy of the vaccine for Influenza in preventing disease is about 50% .
So with this Covid-19 we don't know what it's going to do or how many more will become ill or die. What we are doing right now with Social Distancing we have nothing to compare it to in terms of reducing the spread. But we are doing something different and at best it's just psychological.
You have a valid point - IMHO - the Wuhan virus is outside the box in America and the world. A virus like this whichis very infectious is likely alrady 2 levels ahead of containment efforts - and they are likely to be of little efficacy when public institutions like the Post office, supermakets, restaurant delivery, and other ways of human interaction are open- and potentially spreading the virus on surfaces and potential airborne. By people who do not know they are infected, or are minimally symptomatic
I think the quarantine is going about it the wrong way - we should be making stringent efforts to protect people at risk of severe disease - elderly and with underlying diseaes, - and let it run through the population and end - just as Influenza does yearly - without destroying our economy. Likely the Wuhan virus has a similar - or less - mortality profile than Influenza a virus. See article by John Ioaniddis - in a thread on this forum.
L-17 - you are entitled to your opinion - however, i think you are reading the Anti-vaxxer propaganda - just like the Fascist DPST propaganda - and it has no scientific or medical basis.
