6.4 vaccination programs and herd immunity

purpose of vaccination programs

to protect individuals and communities from infectious disease by building immunity through mandated programs; contributing to herd immunity

• pertussis (whopping cough)

• diptheria

importance of mass vaccination in herd immunity

• assists in eliminating disease and decreasing their incidence

• creates herd immunity

herd immunity

indirect protection, at a population level, against an infectious disease

how herd immunity occurs

• when a high proportion of individuals are vaccinated against a disease

• reduces the number of available hosts that can transmit the pathogen to unvaccinated individuals

who herd immunity benefits

vulnerable members of a community who can’t receive vaccination or vaccination is ineffective

• newborn babies

• people with defective immune systems

• elderly people

scientific strategies

act to reduce or stop transmission of a pathogen and to develop treatments to control/eliminate the pathogen

scientific strategy examples (RSV)

• vaccines & monoclonal antibodies

• surveillance & testing

• hospital infection control

social strategies

support the scientific effort to reduce and control the spread of a pathogen in a population

social strategy examples (RSV)

• public education about RSV

• personal hygiene & mask use

• funding for RSV research