Vaccines are a Medical Marvel

The positive impact vaccines have had on the health of our communities is immeasurable.

There are few true marvels of modern medicine that have significantly improved life expectancy and health outcomes for Americans since the advent of penicillin. Despite the steady stream of new interventions, procedures, and medications over the past century, only a handful have had a measurable impact on the health of our communities. Among them, the one with the greatest and most far-reaching impact, by far, is vaccination.

It’s easy to forget that just 70 years ago, there was no vaccine for polio. In 1952 alone, the U.S. saw over 3,000 deaths and 21,000 cases of paralysis due to the disease. Before the pertussis vaccine, 5,000 to 9,000 children, mostly under age 5, died each year. In the 1950s and early 1960s, nearly every child contracted measles, leading to approximately 48,000 hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths annually. Diphtheria once claimed the lives of 13,000 to 15,000 children every year. Today, most American physicians have never seen a single case of polio, diphtheria, or measles in their careers.

Just five years ago, our state, our nation, and the world were paralyzed by the fear of a pandemic the likes of which we had not seen since 1918. The illness was spreading through our country like wildfire. Millions were sick and hundreds of thousands died. At that time the case fatality rate was 2%, meaning for every 1,000,000 cases of COVID-19, 20,000 died.

That all began to change at the end of 2020, when vaccines became available. While case numbers continued to rise, the case fatality rate, plummeted in those who had been vaccinated to just 0.2%. People flocked to doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and hospitals to get their shot. Vaccine manufacturers raced to meet this demand, and healthcare workers rallied to administer doses as quickly and safely as possible. It was a truly remarkable time in medicine. While there were long hours and hard days involved in rolling out the vaccine, it was well worth it in the end. The shared effort of the medical community across hospitals, clinics, and public health systems saved thousands of lives and reminded us of what’s possible when we work together.

Medicine is always evolving, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest, most accurate information, not only for healthcare professionals, but especially for patients. Personalized care is essential, and there are few, if any, one-size-fits-all solutions in health. That’s why your healthcare team, your nurses, advanced practice providers, allied health professionals, and physicians, are here. In Rutland, we are truly fortunate to have an extraordinary group of professionals who show compassion, skill, and dedication every single day. If you come across headlines or stories that leave you with questions, about vaccines or anything else in healthcare, please bring them to your next visit. We are your trusted partners in health, and we are here to serve you and the community we share.

Written by Dr. Rick Hildebrant, Chief Medical Information Officer and Medical Director of Hospital Medicine at Rutland Regional Medical Center.