Avaccine-preventable disease is aninfectious disease for which an effective preventivevaccine exists.[1][2] If a person acquires a vaccine-preventable disease and dies from it, the death is considered avaccine-preventable death.[citation needed]
The most common and serious vaccine-preventable diseases tracked by theWorld Health Organization (WHO) are:diphtheria,Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection,hepatitis B,measles,meningitis,mumps,pertussis,poliomyelitis,rubella,tetanus,tuberculosis, andyellow fever.[3] The WHO reports licensed vaccines being available to prevent, or contribute to the prevention and control of, 31 vaccine-preventable infections.[4]
In 2012, theWorld Health Organization estimated that vaccination prevents 2.5 million deaths each year.[4] With 100% immunization, and 100% efficacy of the vaccines, one out of seven deaths among young children could be prevented, mostly in developing countries, making this an importantglobal health issue.[3] Four diseases were responsible for 98% of vaccine-preventable deaths:measles,Haemophilus influenzae serotype b,pertussis, and neonataltetanus.[3]
The Immunization Surveillance, Assessment and Monitoring program of the WHO monitors and assesses the safety and effectiveness of programs and vaccines at reducingillness anddeaths from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.[5]
Vaccine-preventable deaths are usually caused by a failure to obtain the vaccine in a timely manner. This may be due to financial constraints or to lack of access to the vaccine. A vaccine that is generally recommended may bemedically inappropriate for a small number of people due to severeallergies ora damaged immune system. In addition, a vaccine against a given disease may not be recommended for general use in a given country, or may be recommended only to certain populations, such as young children or older adults. Every country makes its own immunization recommendations, based on the diseases that are common in its area and its healthcare priorities. If a vaccine-preventable disease is uncommon in a country, then residents of that country are unlikely to receive a vaccine against it. For example, residents of Canada and the United States do not routinely receive vaccines againstyellow fever, which leaves them vulnerable to infection if travelling to areas where risk of yellow fever is highest (endemic or transitional regions).[6][7]
TheWHO lists 28 diseases for which vaccines are available:[8]
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