This herd immunity effect protects the unvaccinated, provided a threshold number of people are immunized and rendered immune.
Parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated are basically counting on the fact that most children are immunized, conferring a kind of herd immunity.
Vaccines are only effective at protecting a community against infectious disease when a critical mass of community members are immunized, creating what's known as herd immunity.
Vaccines protect those who are immunized, but also infants too little for vaccinations, immune-compromised folks such as those undergoing certain cancer treatments, and those who are resistant to immunizations.
Exactly which losses are immunized and, just as important, who gets to decide?
RICHARD BRODY: Larissa, I agree — Rick may be right that we (at least some of us) are immunized to documentary images of violence by fictionalized ones.
"Years from now, if most adults and children are immunized, then an outbreak like the one in Pennsylvania could be avoided".
So if they are immunized, there is no basis to require the kids to be brought in to doctors every month.
Cheese and yogurt companies can examine Crispr regions to see if their bacterial cultures are immunized against particular viruses that could slow production.
A notable exception was the percentage of children enrolled in commercial H.M.O.'s who are immunized: 76 percent in New York compared with the national average of 65percentt.
"My concern is we will have disease before the high-risk people are immunized," said Dr. Steven R. Mostow, who directs a training program at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver for medical professionals in five states.
