[Editorial] The imperative of vaccination (Lancet Infectious Diseases)

Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions and it has been instrumental in saving lives and greatly changing the burden of many infectious diseases over the past 100 years. However, the very effectiveness of vaccines has made some diseases rare, and most of us are less likely to witness first hand the devastating consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases. This fact, combined with misinformation, suspicion about vaccines, and mistrust of governments and health authorities, have prompted many parents to override concerns about the diseases themselves and oppose the vaccination of their children.