Jesani Amar, Johari Veena
Independent Consultant, Researcher and Teacher in Bioethics and Public Health, Prabhu Darshan, 31, Swatantrya Sainik Nagar, Andheri West, Mumbai 400 058, India,.
Advocate, Courtyard Attorneys, 47/1345, MIG Adarsh Nagar, Worli, Mumbai 400 030 India,.
Indian J Med Ethics. 2017 Apr-Jun;2(2):72-74. doi: 10.20529/ijme.2017.019.
Vaccines and vaccination have emerged as key medical scientific tools for prevention of certain diseases. Documentation of the history of vaccination shows that the initial popular resistance to universal vaccination was based on false assumptions and eventually gave way to acceptance of vaccines and trust in their ability to save lives. The successes of the global eradication of smallpox, and now of polio, have only strengthened the premier position occupied by vaccines in disease prevention. However, the success of vaccines and public trust in their ability to eradicate disease are now under challenge, as increasing numbers of people refuse vaccination, questioning the effectiveness of vaccines and the need to vaccinate.
