According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average life expectancy
at the beginning of the 20th century was 47.3 years. A century
later, that number had increased to 77.85 years, due largely to
the development of vaccinations and other treatments for deadly
diseases. Of course, vaccines and treatments only work if
they’re given, which is why many of these diseases still persist
in poorer, developing countries. Despite the success of
vaccines, only one of these diseases — smallpox — has been
erased from the globe. Here are 12 diseases that could be
completely eradicated from the world if vaccines were made
available to all. 1: Chicken Pox Before 1995, a case of the
chicken pox was a rite of passage for kids. The disease, caused
by the varicella-zoster virus, creates an itchy rash of small
red bumps on the skin. The virus spreads when someone who has
the disease coughs or sneezes, and a nonimmune person inhales
the viral particles. The virus can also be passed through
contact with the fluid of chicken pox blister