The Fight Of Disease And Viruses: Polio

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The Fight of Disease and Viruses.

Throughout the world diseases and viruses are spread on a daily and can lead to sickness and possibly death. When the body is introduced to a disease it merges with a cell and creates illness which can lead to sickness and even death. This being said some diseases have cures and vaccinations others don’t. When a virus enters a body it infects it and leads to sickness. While there is no cure to viruses they do usually pass by after time. Over the years the spread of diseases has increased around the world. The number of unvaccinated children are growing more and more every year and we need to do something about it. While forcing people to vaccinate is illegal we need to promote it and show off the good sides of vaccination so it won’t spread and worsen more and more.

There is a lot of information about diseases and how to lower the risk of getting them so here is some information talking about it. What is a disease; according to good, “a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.” Viruses are another form of illness that the body does not like. Viruses are tiny germs that can lead to illness and even diseases like the flu but can be worse then that and can lead to hiv or ebola in some cases. Just because the body has a virus doesn’t mean a disease is an outcome but the possibility of getting a disease from the virus that has entered the body is greater just because some viruses carry diseases while some don’t. Some big diseases that have had a presence in the last 20 years are: ebola, cholera, hepatitis b, yellow fever and the latest being the coronavirus. While there is more than just those, those are just a few that have had a big presence in recent history. Vaccinations have been created from strenuous research and have been proven to have helped either eliminate diseases or help negate their effects of. Although not all diseases have a cure or a vaccination for them, the ones that do might be a good thing to have so there’s a lessened chance of getting it.

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Things like the coronavirus, swine flu, ebola, and cholera are examples of things that have had outbreaks in recent years. In 2009 there was a pandemic of the swine flu also known as H1N1 infection between 150000 and 575000 people worldwide, the exact number not truly known. Although when the original outbreak happened the base flu shot did not cover it but by October there was a vaccine released in North America and soon after other countries to help kill and prevent the swine flu later on. Cholera is another disease that has had a couple different small epidemics in twenty past 20 years. While not one to have a lot of cases every couple of years there is an outbreak that will affect a group but it’s mainly in smaller countries. Smaller countries get hit with this more often due to the lack of resources to get things like vaccines and other health care like bigger countries have brought to them. Between 2013 and 2016 there was a worldwide pandemic of ebola affecting roughly 10000 people most of being in west Africa. While this is one of the most talked-about cases there is one going on right now in congo and Uganda that has infected roughly 2000 as of February of 2020. While the Ebola outbreak is going on in Congo a measles outbreak is going on at the same time which has infected less than 5000 but its still going on so these numbers of infections can grow. The most recent outbreak has been the coronavirus, while there is no known cure and it is still in its beginner fazes it is growing at a substantial rate.

There are a lot of misconceptions about vaccinations whether they are a good thing or not so here I bring them up. Some people believe that vaccinations and taking precautions to vamp up the immune system are not good but that is not fully correct. Some people believe that when they get a vaccine they are putting the disease in their and it can lead to them getting sick. While on some instincts they are correct and that is they are putting the disease into the body but it’s a very small dosage to the point that it’s just enough for the body to take it in and build immunities of it to save the body later on from getting as sick from it. This also isn’t the case for all; sometimes they have enzymes in them that create blockers on the cells so it can reject the disease when it tries to enter. Others believe that just because they get a vaccine means they won’t get it. For some things that is true but for things like the flu or something that mutates or creates different strands quickly I may not be. While getting a flu shot may not mean they won’t get the flu but in most cases, if they do get the flu then it is a very negative form of it so there’s a chance they may not get as sick. But vaccinations can cause problems with their child’s growth and cause them to have disabilities. While the chances of a kid having health problems due to the vaccines are points of a percent the amount of people that die yearly to vaccine-preventable diseases is way greater. Roughly 1.5 million people die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Here are some numbers that talk about the average vaccination rates and other things about vaccinations. Depending on the vaccine between 70-90% of kids are getting vaccinated on a yearly basis. Most popular vaccines like the polio vaccine, hepatitis, measles and chickenpox vaccines are usually done to kids when they get their initial shots. On average rughly 90% of kids between the ages of 19-35 months get those main 4 vaccines. Every year vaccines save between 2 to 3 million each year and that can raise at any moment if something starts to spread. Unicef buys 2.8 billion doses of vaccines each year spreading between 100 countries. This is helpful because the UNICEF will help give vaccines to underprivileged people and 3rd world countries. With them it is possible for people to not risk getting sick and helping eliminate things like polio and other eradicated diseases. Between 1994-2013 routine childhood immunizations have saved an estimated 300+ million lives and raises every year. Only 2 countries are said to have wild polio and that is Pakistan and Afghanistan. With those 2 countries having polio there were only 27 cases between the 2 of them. This could easily be changed from just vaccinating the few people that haven’t been vaccinated and it could eliminate it altogether.

One great solution to help fight and get rid of diseases is by getting vaccinated when they are available. When having a child the parents make a choice whether or not to vaccinate their child and it is a very important decision which will affect their child’s life and possibly there’s too. While vaccinations are not mandatory, if doctors try to talk parents into vaccinating their children and showing off the benefits and not as much the weakness then that can help with decreasing the rates of nonvaccinated children. Some state laws require students at public schools to be vaccinated and by forcing parents to vaccinate their children which is very helpful in making sure all kids are vaccinated. Another helpful way to help make sure children are vaccinated in order to go to a daycare or private school. Another possibility to help increase vaccination rates is trying to find a way to lower out-of-pocket costs for vaccinations. One big problem why adults don’t go get vaccinations is because they might not be able to afford them so finding a way to lower the cost of vaccines would be very helpful. Another way to help get adults to get their vaccines is by reminding them when it’s time to get them. By letting people know it’s time for them to get their vaccine it gives them the reminder so they will remember to get it done.

The solution I have put together is further explained in this paragraph. Going outside and introducing the body to new areas helps build the immune system which may help lessen the effects of viruses. Building the immune system is a great way to not get as sick and have better built up immunities in the long run. Living a healthy life is a great way to boost the immune system. That means eating the proper amount of fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. On an average night you should sleep about 8 hour an exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Combine that with a healthy diet and at least 400 grams of fruits would help build the immune system and keep a person on track for a great healthy life. Smoking is something that deteriorates the immune system and that is the opposite of what the body needs when trying to fight infections and diseases. Smoking not only weakens it so it’s more prone to infection but also can turn the immune system against itself and cause it not to be able to fight the infections. Stress is another immune system suppressant. When stressed the body creates a corticosteroid in which it makes it to where the immune system will struggle to fight off the infections and make the illness worse than it would be before. Being outside doing stuff is a great way to help boost the immune system and to help fight off infections and even other things. Being outside helps the body get introduced to other germs in which the body builds immunity and doesn’t react as badly when the body is later introduced to them. Not only does it help with that as a bonus of going outside it helps with allergies as well.

There is a lot of controversy on the topic of vaccinating but is it worth not vaccinating? One fear when people think about vaccinating their kids is the possible side effects. Side effect people are scared of is the possibility of having a seizure. Another side effect is having an allergic reaction which when having vaccines at such a young age can possibly be deadly. While these are possibilities these are extremely rare and sometimes able to be found out on beforehand. Another controversy toward vaccinations is the possibility of forming sids(sudden infant death syndrome). Out of the millions of babies that are born each year this is a very rare outcome but one that is a possibility though. Around the same time most babies are starting to get their vaccinations in the same time frame as most babies start showing their congenital problems so most problems that are shown may not be due to the fact that they were vaccinated. In some countries, vaccinations are not as prevalent so in those countries, we would have to help get them vaccinations so everyone has an equal chance at getting them.

Some may ask how in recent years and other countries how this is possible but smallpox is proof that this is possible. Smallpox is the first disease to be completely eradicated with the last known case in the 1970s. When that happened the group of people were quickly taken and put into quarantine and revaccinated and where cured. With smallpox being eradicated for over 50 years it has been really good proof that if there is a vaccine and everyone gets it there is no where for the disease to go and will die. More proof that it is possible to eliminate diseases through vaccination is polio. Polio has been completely eradicated from the United states of America and some other countries. There are only 3 countries that still currently have polio outbreaks and have not been completely eradicated and that is Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. While those 3 countries still have polio other countries and foundations are trying to help and eradicate polio from there as well. It is not eradicated in those countries due to the fact of either the country being too poor or not having the proper healthcare in order to get the shots. Vaccinations has also helped eliminate malaria in North America North Africa, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean. It has also helped eliminate it in most parts of South America, South Africa and Asia.

If we take the necessary steps toward vaccinating children and adults then the spread of diseases will go down by a great amount. Throughout the years viruses and diseases have spread and killed many people and that shouldn’t be happening. The world as a whole needs to take the necessary precautions toward saving themselves and others. Without the world as a whole trying to help fight diseases then it would be nearly impossible to eliminate them. Although there will always be diseases if we just take the necessary steps we can help eliminate as much of them as possible.

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