Immunizations and Infectious Disease in Rural America
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abstract
Substantial improvements have been made in the areas of infectious diseases and immunizations over the last century in the United States. Both the control of infectious diseases and immunizations have been lauded as two of the ten great public health achievements in the 20th century. These two public health achievements have been credited for significant reductions in infectious disease mortality, disability, and death. Vaccines have been the most effective mediums for infectious disease prevention. They are unique among other medical products in that they prevent, rather than treat, diseases. The effect of vaccines also extends beyond the individual to the community, thus making them even more unique. The incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases generally continued on a downward slope over the last decade, with no reported incidence of two diseases smallpox and diphtheria over the last decade.
