Vaccines, Vaccinations, and the Re-emergence of and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Vaccines are recommended and are commonly used to reduce the risk of spreading the infection and, thus, protecting populations against diseases that may have serious and detrimental consequences to overall health. Timely receipt of vaccines is based on suggested public health guidelines. These guidelines are based on recommendations that have been developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is a public health agency, under the US Department of Health and Human Services. Recommendations provided by the CDC are in accordance with those promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The same standards apply to the European Center for Disease Control (EU CDC). However, in developing and implementing vaccination protocols, minor differences between the US, European, and British health standards are noted due to differences in social, economic, cultural, religious, and other factors relevant to the specific population and its region. Additionally, constant fluctuation in immigration, climate challenges, and consequential re-emergence of certain diseases revealed the need to reassess and constantly monitor for potential outbreaks of certain vaccine-preventable diseases. The aim of this chapter is to summarize and give current prospectives for the most common vaccines as they relate to vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States based on the most recent CDC guidelines. This chapter will also present a brief overview of the European and British vaccine standards, as they pertain to the current US standards and global standards.