While it may be true that there are no cases of
disease in a given area at a specific time, especially in the United States
where so many VPDs have been sidelined through aggressive vaccination, there is
nothing to prevent the reintroduction of a disease pathogen from outside.
People who are unvaccinated are protected through herd immunity, but it
requires a high number of people to be vaccinated to protect the population.
High rates of international travel mean that if a pathogen is present anywhere
it can easily get anywhere. Unprotected individuals are then vulnerable. If a
significant number of people are unvaccinated, this provides the pathogen with
the opportunity to once again establish and spread quickly (2).
(1)
1Airplane Travelling Around Earth Vector - Travel Symbol Png PNG Image:
Transparent PNG Free Download on SeekPNG. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2020,
from
https://www.seekpng.com/ipng/u2q8u2t4e6t4t4a9_airplane-travelling-around-earth-vector-travel-symbol-png/
2Vaccines Myths Debunked
(2020), retrieved 2 May 2020, https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/vaccine-myths-debunked/
