Recent news
January 2011
Vaccines are ‘among the greatest scientific contributions to human welfare,’ opinion piece says
January 19, 2011 -- “Vaccines are among the greatest scientific contributions to human welfare” Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson writes in a recent opinion piece, adding, “They are also some of the largest humanitarian contributions of developed nations to the rest of the world.” By the end of 2008, 192 million children had received vaccinations against hepatitis B, and 41.8 million were protected against the bacteria Hib, according to Gerson. He adds that these successes are due in large part to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). “During the alliance’s first decade, GAVI-funded vaccines for these diseases—along with vaccines for pertussis, measles, yellow fever, and polio—prevented more than five million premature deaths,” Gerson writes.
“When it comes to human lives, the word ‘million’ should not be passed over without comment,” Gerson writes, adding that it is “remarkable that a poorly named international organization, almost unknown to Americans, with no apparent instinct for self-promotion, should count five million success stories. It is a demonstration, for anyone who doubted it, that foreign assistance can be effectively redesigned and focused on achievable outcomes. It is also living proof that science, guided by conscience, is one of the most powerful, hopeful forces of history.”
According to Gerson, this “demonstration that the rapid expansion of vaccination is possible in the developing world creates an ethical challenge of its own. A vaccine for malaria is a few years away. Vaccines for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and dengue fever are probably more distant. But two vaccines—for rotavirus and pneumococcua—are available. These diseases, causing diarrhea and pneumonia, are the leading causes of death for young children in poor countries. But just a few early treatments would bring a lifetime of immunity.” He adds that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “estimates that large-scale vaccination, in these cases, could prevent the deaths of 7.6 million children under five in the next decade. Again, note the ‘millions.’” See the link below for more details.
