While the most immediate effects of not being
vaccinated are to the unvaccinated individual – they may become ill if exposed,
they may need to be socially isolated or excluded in times of exposure, and
they will need to inform health care personnel of their status which may
complicate other treatment. However, they also pose a risk to others. An
unvaccinated woman who contracts rubella while pregnant, for example, may pass
congenital rubella syndrome on to her unborn child which could lead to severe
heart defects and developmental issues (1). An unvaccinated person who becomes
ill also compromises others who are unable to become vaccinated due to some
other medical condition, such as cancers patients, or transplant recipients.
The unvaccinated person can also carry disease pathogens when they travel,
spreading a disease that would otherwise be unable to start (3).
(2)
1The Harm of Skipping
Vaccinations or Delaying (2015), retrieved 2 May 2020, https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/immunization/vaccine_safety/harm.htm
2Rubella. (2020, March 31). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rubella/symptoms-causes/syc-20377310
3Vaccines Myths Debunked
(2020), retrieved 2 May 2020, https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/vaccine-myths-debunked/
