Health in the United States
[12] The number is projected to increase by more than one percent per year by 2030, resulting in an estimated chronically ill population of 171 million.
[citation needed] Based on data from 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), about 60% of adult Americans were estimated to have one chronic illness, with about 40% having more than one; this rate appears to be mostly unchanged from 2008.
[15] Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States.
Studies show that localized outbreaks have occurred in communities with high rates of exemptions, where vaccine coverage is below the critical threshold for herd immunity.
For instance, the 2014-2015 measles outbreak in the United States, which primarily affected unvaccinated children, highlighted the vulnerability of these communities.
Additionally, the increasing prevalence of misinformation on social media platforms has exacerbated vaccine hesitancy, making it a public health challenge.
Immunizations are often compulsory for military enlistment in the U.S.[4] All vaccines recommended by the U.S. government for its citizens are required for green card applicants.
[28] The controversy surrounding mandatory vaccination has often revolved around the balance between public health measures and individual rights.
However, numerous studies emphasize that vaccination mandates are essential for protecting public health and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
The early movement towards school vaccination laws began at the local level including counties, cities, and boards of education.
[32] An example of this political controversy occurred in 1893 in Chicago, where less than 10 percent of the children were vaccinated despite the twelve-year-old state law.
Resistance proceeded during the mid-1900s and in 1977 a nationwide Childhood Immunization Initiative was developed with the goal of increasing vaccination rates among children to 90% by 1979.
The initiative, along with other vaccination campaigns, contributed to the widespread acceptance of immunizations as a standard practice in American schools.
Today, school vaccination requirements continue to be a major strategy for preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases.
The court decided that a school could deny admission to children who failed to provide a certification of vaccination for the protection of the public health.
in the process of changing its state exemption policies, dealt with a 2015 measles outbreak stemming from the popular Disneyland park.
Significantly, most of the afflicted were unvaccinated, which eventually spread to over 17 separate states across the U.S.[37] In 1790, people over the age of 65 were less than 2% of the American population.
Although all Americans will face some health effect from climate change, certain individuals are more vulnerable than others due to levels of exposure, sensitivity, and ability to adapt (See Table).
[40] The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified nine national health topics relating to climate change.
[42] Climate change will potentially lead to shifts in precipitation patterns, more frost-free days, warmer seasonal air temperatures, and more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
[43] Within the United States the impact of climate change from domestically acquiring diseases is uncertain due to vector-control efforts and lifestyle factors, such as time spent indoors, that reduce human-insect contact.
Additionally, sporadic increases in stream flow rates, often followed by rapid snowmelt and changes in water treatment, have also been linked outbreaks.
Due to rising prices, poor persons will turn to “nutrient-poor but calorie-rich foods and/or they endure hunger, with consequences ranging from micronutrient malnutrition to obesity.” Additionally, nutritional quality will be impacted because “elevated atmospheric CO2 is associated with decreased plant nitrogen concentration, and therefore decreased protein, in many crops, such as barley, sorghum, and soy.
[48] The United States has seen an increase in the frequency of heavy precipitation events, and the upward trend is supposed to continue throughout the different regions of the country.
These events can necessitate the forceful relocation of an entire family which may be distancing them from schools, primary doctors and other resources that they may have gotten used to.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures is associated with increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory disorders.
[50] In 2021 we have seen an increase in the news and social media coverage about wildfires spreading throughout California as shown in the image at the end of the section.
Not only do many people lose their homes, livelihoods and even lives in these fires, but smoke exposure has many negative effects on physical health as well.
