Vaccines Global Summit

Vaccination strategies represent the very important elements of public health that help guide how vaccines should be distributed and administered to maximize effectiveness in communities. The vaccination strategy is targeted towards specific diseases, health emergencies, and vulnerable people to be protected. The effective implementation of vaccination strategies by health organizations will eradicate the spread of infectious diseases in the community for the long-term provision of a healthy future global population.

Mass vaccination is a strategy used in cases of an outbreak or to bring under control highly infectious diseases. It implies the administering of vaccines to large sections of a population within a relatively short period to swiftly install immunity. The effects of mass vaccination campaigns are indeed manifested where, for instance, smallpox was eradicated and polio almost eradicated. However, mass vaccination does not come cheap; it requires logistical planning, proper outreach, and elaborate public education.

Routine immunization results in immunity in the community over a period. Routine immunization emphasizes the schedule for immunization of infants and children within the levels of care to immunize them against common causes of diseases like measles, diphtheria, and tetanus, among others. Routine immunization programs are designed based on the science of age-specific effectiveness to create immunity early and strengthen it through booster shots over time.

Targeted Vaccination focuses on specific population groups or high-risk populations. For example, some vaccines are offered to doctors and nurses, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases during the occurrence of a flu kind of illness, as they are more susceptible to severe consequences. Targeted vaccinations are also utilized for the immunization of populations in specific geographic locations, as they are more susceptible to outbreaks.

Ring vaccination is used in an outbreak where highly contagious diseases like Ebola are involved. While vaccinating those individuals who are very likely to have been exposed to an infected person, it also vaccinates all those who directly or indirectly have a relationship with them. Ring vaccination limits the spread of the disease by encircling the infected individual within a ""ring"" of immunity that cuts the chain of transmission.

It supports a more general aim in public health through these vaccination strategies: herd immunity. When enough people are immune, the disease slows from spreading, and thus it protects those who cannot be vaccinated. The process of creating herd immunity cannot be achieved without focused coordination and widespread participation in the plan for vaccinations.

Every vaccination strategy, therefore, plays a particular role in the protection of public health. Health organizations can both lessen the infectious burden in communities and work toward future control or elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases when those strategies are used effectively.