Day Two - Vaccines... Ouch!

A few days ago I met my good friend Holly for dinner. We caught up on several things, friends, family, work... Holly explained that she travels quite often for work and that she has developed a fear or anxiety even about flying. She worries every time she gets on a plane that she may not make it home. However, she realizes accidents can happen every day so being scared of flying is in a way irrational. For instance, car accidents happen everyday, if you live in Chicago like me you might be more likely to get hit by car; or you could feel off one day only to be told that you have cancer since everything causes cancer these days the possibility is always there; or you could wake up one day and realize a person you care about moved across the country... and you might just die of a broken heart, or emptiness. Regardless, while sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office I began thinking about the concept of vaccines. Whenever visiting a developing country vaccines are typically standard procedure, but what makes us worthy of receiving these vaccines or preventative medications. Indian citizens are exposed to the diseases we are trying to prevent every day. It doesn't seem fair that while they are constantly vulnerable to malaria, yellow fever or typhoid, I have the ability to prevent contracting these diseases although I will only be in India for three weeks. So why the discrepancy, where does it come from, the fact that I am from a developed country, a westerner, an American? Although I am sure there is some perfectly logical explaination, I can't help but wonder why are things so unfair?