Triumphs of Immunization

• Authors: John F Modlin, Geisel School of Medicine; William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University; Walter Orenstein, Emory University; Ananda S Bandyopadhyay, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Journal Title: JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• Volume: Volume 224, Number 12 Suppl 2
• Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC | 2021-10-01, Pages S307-S309
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab123
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Immunology; Infectious Diseases; Microbiology; vaccines; immunization impact; global health; UNITED-STATES; VACCINATION COVERAGE; VACCINES; PROGRAM; IMPACT

Abstract

The global coronavirus pandemic we now confront has led to unprecedented mortality, strained our medical systems, disrupted our daily lives, and created economic stress unlike any other event in our lifetime. The origin is a novel virus that has swept across the globe with surprising speed, aided by air travel and a complete absence of population immunity. There can be no clearer reminder of the importance of immunization to modern civilization.