BIOtech Now
Andrew Segerman
Writing for Morning Consult, Dr. Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, highlights the importance of immunization as August marks National Immunization Awareness Month.
“As an international public health community, we have eradicated the scourge of smallpox thanks to Edward Jenner’s research and the development of the world’s first vaccine. We are nearing the eradication of polio thanks to the commitment and research of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. Most recently, the experimental Ebola vaccine has proven effective in controlling the outbreak in West Africa and is helping to contain the outbreak in the DRC.”
As BIO has pointed out before, vaccines have tremendous societal value, responsible for saving more than 730,000 children over the past 20 years in the U.S. One study found that the vaccination of children born in the United States in 2009 is projected to generate $184 billion in lifetime social value – or about $45,000 per child.
“The development of vaccines gave the public health community the tools needed to prevent … horrific diseases,” Dr. Monroe writes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resources to assist in communicating the value of these medical marvels that have been used with great success over the years against viruses and bacteria that cause everything from polio to some forms of cancer.
Beyond National Immunization Awareness Month, help spread the word about these miracles of prevention and the many benefits that come along with them.
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