Universal vaccination could save 60million + lives per year!

[LimeSlice]

Issues of vaccination safety aside though, I do wonder who would have fed them all.
I still question this desire to save everyone, prevent everything, when they still won't have clean drinking water.

Thanks for posting.

[RockinSAHD]

What about those who do have food and water? Death is a proven safety issue.

[Schmickers]

You know, seriously - Lime makes a good point.

I understand that mass vaccination programs would statistically prevent 60 million deaths a year, but before I would really throw my support behind them, I would have to see how many deaths a year are attributable to poor quality drinking water or famine - I would imagine basded on my knowledge of the third world condition that this would be much higher. And death from gastro that results from contaminated water is in many ways much more of a certainty than the risk of death from a vaccine preventable disease such as measles.

[Phteven]

I agree that over-population is of major concern but I don't really see why the people of developing nations should be sacrificed to disease in the name of population control.
Some people argue that if the world's resources were distributed equitably we would all have enough to survive. I'm not sure what the real figures are and I'm guessing that most of us (including me) would be resistant to such a hefty downsize in lifestyle.

[RockinSAHD]

You know, seriously - Lime makes a good point.

I understand that mass vaccination programs would statistically prevent 60 million deaths a year, but before I would really throw my support behind them, I would have to see how many deaths a year are attributable to poor quality drinking water or famine - I would imagine basded on my knowledge of the third world condition that this would be much higher. And death from gastro that results from contaminated water is in many ways much more of a certainty than the risk of death from a vaccine preventable disease such as measles.

Are you saying that the money could be better spent on existing programs? A good point but having been involved in improving water quality on the ground in Africa I can say that its a very expensive and complicated proposition. The lives could be saved by relatively inexpensive vaccination programs. Disease cripples communities, it doesn't control populations, family planning and education do that and enrich peoples lives along the way.

[RockinSAHD]

Are you saying that the money could be better spent on existing programs? A good point but having been involved in improving water quality on the ground in Africa I can say that its a very expensive and complicated proposition.

Food and water programs are complicated and involve logistic and cultural problems (and big, big $'s), not that I'm against them at all, sustainable programs are the only way forward really but it takes healthy bodies to dig wells.

The link in the OP lists vaccinations common in first world countries that prevent diseases that cause millions of deaths in other countries regardless of expensive and inefficient food/water programs.

[BellyBelly]

I think clean healthy water (and food) is a basic human need (note: priority) for every single person and every single person deserves that. Not vaccinations. Gates has poured so much money into programs to vaccinate these people, why doesnt he put it towards that instead? Because he has a vested interest and shares/ownership in companies making the vaccines.

[Yeddi]

Word Kelly.

Here's you vaccination to go with your brown water and those herbs you use to give your dirt cakes some flavour! It's like trying to put out a grass fire with a bucket while someone stands at the end of the field with a flame thrower.

[RockinSAHD]

I think clean healthy water (and food) is a basic human need (note: priority) for every single person and every single person deserves that. Not vaccinations. Gates has poured so much money into programs to vaccinate these people, why doesnt he put it towards that instead? Because he has a vested interest and shares/ownership in companies making the vaccines.

Thats terrible, he gets to save lives and keep some of his money that he gave away. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Ouch, Yeddi! I haven't seen anyone eating dirtcakes in third world countries personally, I've seen the brown water though, I would love to know the miracle that Gates should've invested in...

In India there's a massive engineering scheme to drill wells for villages, only problem is the water table is dropping so for every well they sink another dries up. What would you do?