Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1342648
February 22-March 29, 2021 16 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com Immunization, Then and Now Bonaparte, ordered all of his troops to be vaccinated, even though France and England were then at war. Over the next two centuries, vaccines have made it possible to bring under control or even eliminate deadly and debilitating illnesses like polio. So, how does this centuries-long history relate to our current situation? As everyone waits anxiously for their COVID-19 vaccine, it's vital that we not lose too much ground on other important vacci- nations. Unfortunately, there are signs that's already happening. Many immunizations were delayed earlier last year due to the pandemic, especially in the early months of March and April, when outpatient clinics and medical offices were only open for emergency care. Now, many facilities are back to a semblance of business as usual, but delayed immunizations remain delayed. This is espe- cially disruptive of vaccinations that require multiple doses spaced out by weeks or months. It is essential that children receive their required vaccinations and receive them on time. While the pandemic remains the No. 1 public health concern, it would be unconscionable if a child died of measles or another vaccine-preventable disease because of COVID-19. It's no less important that adults, particularly vul- nerable elders, stay up to date on crucial immunizations. HESITANCY AND RESISTANCE ✚ Pandemic-related delays may compound the growing global problem of vaccine hesitancy. The percentage of the popula- tion that will actually refuse all vaccinations for themselves and their children is relatively small — perhaps 2.5 to 4 percent — but misinformation about vaccines is widespread. Although all current childhood vaccines have decades of solid medical evidence demonstrating their effectiveness against dis- eases, some recent studies suggest that as many as one in every five adults have misconceptions about vaccination. (The World Health Organization's Global Vaccine Safety Initiative address- es and debunks some of the most common misconceptions, based on information originally developed by the CDC.) Ironically, most parents who refuse vaccines for their kids were themselves vaccinated as children, but have chosen to deny their own children the same benefits they themselves enjoyed. The resulting resurgence of vaccine-preventable dis- eases hurts other families, worsens population health and means higher healthcare costs for all of us. Vaccination has been an invaluable public health tool for two centuries, but many of the gains it has made possible may be lost if not enough people receive the necessary shots, caus- ing dangerous resurgences of preventable diseases that had been all but eliminated not long ago. THEN AND NOW Top: Variolation in the 19th century was risky, as about 1 in 40 died from the procedure itself. Above: The polio ward at a hospital in the 1940s, before a polio vaccine was widely available. Photos below: During this pandemic, many children have fallen behind in their immunization schedules.