[A short history of infectious diseases since the fifties of the last century and the importance of vaccination].

Vaccination in the Czech lands has a long history; it begun during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1803 by vaccination against smallpox, and in the late 19th century by vaccination against rabies. In the second half of the 20th century, the basic vaccination included also other vaccines. Thanks to paediatricians, vaccination coverage of children was so high that in addition to the immunity of individuals the collective immunity was also significant. The incidence of infectious diseases has dropped significantly. Today the population, both medical and lay, almost does not know the classic childrens infectious diseases or their risk of complications. This creates a feeling in recent years that vaccination is unnecessary and that it is a source of complication and, therefore, better not to vaccinate. However, diseases, except for smallpox, have not disappeared, and for the susceptible unvaccinated individuals they represent a great risk. There are now occurring at atypical age groups where their diagnosis is even not considered. Therefore, it is important to return to the course of disease as well as to the potentially serious complications in unvaccinated people.