Rx For Survival Essay

Part one of the video RX For Survival, explains the origin of vaccinations, the first observation of germs, information on infectious diseases like polio and smallpox, and the need for a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. English Physician Edward Jenner developed a small pox vaccine, in late 1796. Jenner came to the conclusion that by infecting a child with cowpox, a mild form of smallpox, the body could build immunity to smallpox. This case is where vaccines first originated from and lead to other vaccine discoveries like the rabies vaccine. The rabies vaccine was later developed by, French Chemist Louis Pasteur. Pasteur was also the first to claim that germs and bacteria were the cause of human illness. The discovery of vaccines became a great contribution to the world and now there are numerous vaccines to help prevent an illness. However, not all people have access to vaccines or choose not to be vaccinated. …show more content…
Polio is a disease that causes body paralysis and crippling of the limbs causing some children to die. Nigeria holds the highest rate of polio cases due to a ban of polio vaccinations in 2003 and 2004. Additionally, religion is a great health barrier in India, because some parents believe that the health and well-being of their child lies in the hands of their god and do not want their child to be vaccinated. Similarly, there are parents in the U.S. that do not want to vaccinate their child because there is a belief that vaccines pose a higher risk of illness for their child due to the chemical composition of the vaccine and potential side effects. However, vaccinations have been proven to serve as a great preventative measure to avoid the contraction and spreading of diseases. For example, the smallpox vaccine has been very