August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Vaccines are a miracle of modern medicine, reducing many diseases that once used to ravage the human population. Unfortunately, some of these diseases are slowly starting to make a return due to the concerning growth of vaccine hesitancy.

To help combat the misinformation of the anti-vax movement and raise awareness about the life-saving importance of immunization, the month of August has been declared National Immunization Month. At St. Jude Labs, we recognize the immense importance of immunization awareness. That’s why we wanted to take this opportunity to explore the goals and objectives of National Immunization Awareness Month and why recent developments have made such a campaign necessary.

What is Vaccine Hesitancy?

There was a time when no one questioned the safety or efficacy of vaccines. When a polio vaccine was finally developed in the 1950s after decades of having no way to treat the ongoing epidemic, society embraced it as the godsend that it was.

Fast-forward to 2022, though, and you’ll find a completely different story. Today, only 67% of the US population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and reaching even this number required monumental efforts to raise awareness and push back against misinformation.

So what’s changed? Certainly not vaccines, which have only grown safer and more effective over the years. While there are a number of factors that could point to explain why so many people are now leery of immunization, the invention of the internet and social media has to be the most impactful.

When you give everyone a platform and the ability to broadcast their message in the way that the internet has done, misinformation is bound to spread. As is the case with vaccine hesitancy, this unchecked spread of misinformation can sometimes prove incredibly costly.

Vaccines causing autism in children, vaccines containing lethal amounts of mercury, and vaccines being used as a means to reduce the world’s population are just a few of the myths that have gained footing and have been accepted as fact by an alarming number of people. Worst of all, these myths don’t just affect the people who choose not to be vaccinated; they affect our entire society.

Herd immunity means that vaccines are able to protect an entire population even if not everyone in that population is vaccinated. Infants and those with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines rely on those who are able to get vaccinated to do so in order to reach herd immunity and make it impossible for the disease to spread through the population. When too many people refuse to get immunized, though, herd immunity becomes unattainable, and the most vulnerable members of the population are put at risk.

We are already starting to see some of the consequences of vaccine hesitancy. As immunization rates drop, diseases that were once all but eradicated are starting to show up again. Outbreaks of measles, mumps, and a number of other diseases for which a proven-effective vaccine exists showcase the dire consequences of vaccine hesitancy. If we continue down this path, it’s very possible that these diseases will make a roaring comeback.

The Goal of National Immunization Awareness Month

Combating vaccine hesitancy requires a combination of broadcasting factual information and winning back the public trust – and this is the goal of National Immunization Awareness Month. Today, there is an abundance of information on vaccines available, all backed by peer-reviewed studies and medical experts all over the world. The first objective of National Immunization Awareness Month, therefore, is to ensure that people see this information.

In the Wild West of the World Wide Web, myths often spread much faster than truths. That’s why ensuring that people are able to find factual information about vaccines requires so much ongoing effort. All of the myths of the anti-vax movement are easy enough to dispel and disprove. Convincing the public, though, is an entirely different challenge. At St. Jude Labs, we want to do our part to combat the consequences of vaccine hesitancy and create a healthier future for us all. To schedule an appointment for health and wellness testing that will shed light on which diseases you are most vulnerable to, be sure to contact us today!