Recognizing the importance of vaccination for American health and security

Vaccines play a vital role in protecting our health, especially as preventable disease outbreaks rise.

Here’s five things to know about vaccines:

Vaccines are powerful tools that protect us from serious infectious diseases that can cause severe illness or in some cases even death. Before vaccines, diseases we can now prevent—like measles, polio and whooping cough—caused significant illness and claimed thousands of lives each year. In the early 20th century, nearly one in five children died before they turned five, many from infectious disease that are now preventable. Today, vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to keep children and families healthy. It’s critical we maintain high vaccination rates because infectious diseases that were previously eliminated or controlled through vaccines can resurge when vaccination rates decline below a certain threshold.
There are several types of vaccines – and while different by design, every vaccine is developed with the same goal: to protect you and your loved ones from serious diseases. Some prevent individuals from contracting or transmitting a specific disease, while others reduce the severity of illness if you do get sick. But all vaccines work by training your immune system to recognize and respond to harmful pathogens—helping your body build protection before exposure to the illness itself.
Vaccines are given to prevent rather than treat disease, which is why they undergo a rigorous development and review processes. Vaccines undergo clinical trials prior to approval and scientists, both from the federal government and at the biopharmaceutical company, continue to monitor vaccine safety after FDA review and approval. Most vaccines have been proven safe and effective through decades of clinical studies and real-world use. Their safety is monitored by government agencies, vaccine makers, universities and health systems around the world.
Vaccines play a key role in our nation’s security and position as a global leader in innovation. Powered by American innovation, vaccines ensure our nation is protected from disease outbreaks while safeguarding national security, economic stability and American leadership.
It is critical that vaccines are available, accessible and covered by insurance, so that every American can protect themselves and their families. Broad access to and coverage of vaccines ensures people can take informed, proactive steps to stay protected.

The bottom line: Vaccines play an important role in keeping American families healthy – and the need for a strong policy environment that supports access to vaccines and empowers innovation that protects our country’s health and global security.

Mike Ybarra

Michael Ybarra, M.D., is an emergency physician and Chief Medical Officer at PhRMA. He also serves as Senior Vice President in Advocacy and Strategic Alliances. In these roles, he leads PhRMA’s stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships on federal and international health policy issues. He is PhRMA’s liaison representative to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and is the co-convener of PhRMA’s R&D Leadership Forum. Dr. Ybarra continues to see patients clinically in the emergency department at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

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Mike Ybarra

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