Vaccination & epidemic

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

But then why vaccinate for diseases
that have never killed anyone in the Western world, like rotavirus, strep throat, etc.?
I can see the purpose of the rotavirus vaccine in Africa, where babies do die from dehydration
because there really isn't any clean water to give them,
but to my knowledge rotavirus has never killed a single child in the developed world.
It just gives you a little diarrhea, and then you're fine.
<snip>

Ummm... are you sure ?
I'm not, but maybe we're talking about two different viruses

emedicinehealth.com
Rotavirus Infection Overview

Rotavirus infection is the number one cause of severe viral
gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) in the world.
Primary rotavirus infection is particularly common in children 6 months to 2 years of age.
Annual estimates indicate that, worldwide, approximately 130 million infants and children
develop this infection, resulting in 600,000-800,000 deaths per year.

The most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate
that the burden of morbidity (illness) and mortality in the United States is not trivial.
Each year, approximately 2.7 million American children sustain a rotavirus infection,
resulting in 500,000 office visits.
Between 300-400 American children die annually, while approximately 200,000 hospitalizations
occur each year due to rotavirus infection.
The federal government estimates the direct medical cost of rotavirus disease to be $1 billion annually.
This direct cost does not take into consideration the broader financial impact (loss of productivity and wages, etc.).