Vaccination and its significance

 

18-Jan-2022

 

Since birth, we are exposed to numerous microbes that may be a cause of some very serious diseases. The body's immune system aids in protecting us from these infections, but as it is in its primal stage of development it lacks the right tools, which might lead to consequences that are serious and complicated. So the doctors aimed to find a solution that would prevent the onset of these diseases and prepare our immune system for these diseases causing microbes if they ever enter our bodies. The solution to this problem was vaccines.

 

People have many misconceptions about vaccinations. They are a vital part of public and family health that prevent numerous contagious diseases like measles, mumps, polio whooping cough, and diphtheria to name a few. 

 

What are vaccines?

The vaccine is a way to boost your body's natural immunity against dangerous diseases even before you contract them. This stops the disease from catching on to you and halts its spread by you. 

 

How do vaccines work?

What happens is that your body is injected with a weakened form of the disease germ. This is done by giving you a shot with injection. The body's immune system detects the germs as invaders and produces chemicals called antibodies to fight and eliminate them from the body. As the germs are too weak to fight back the body can kill them easily. The antibodies produced are stored in the body. If you are exposed to the disease at any time in your life, your body knows what antibodies to deploy, and before the germs can do any harm body's immune system eliminates it. Our immune system memorizes the response to the specific microbe and activates the defense system before it has the chance to cause disease.

 

When should we get vaccinated?

Everyone needs a vaccine to aid the body's immune system fight the outside aggressors. Vaccines are recommended for adults and children for different diseases. They are properly scheduled throughout the life of an individual.  They are more commonly given in children. By their 6th birthday, a child with proper and timely vaccination has received 14 different shots for different issues. Some vaccines are lifelong and some may have to be repeated every year or two with booster doses.

 

Why are vaccines important?

  • A newborn baby's immune system is not prepared to fight microbes of such serious disease on its own. Getting them vaccinated might save your child's life and prevent many complications that might happen in the future as in cases of polio. Where children who are not vaccinated develop disabilities for lifelong.

 

  • It is imperative to stay vaccinated as the disease is alive in some parts of the world at all times. If we stop vaccination they may start affecting again and prove to be detrimental.

 

  • Vaccines prevent the disease in children as well as adults. These diseases if starting their course can prove to be very harmful to the body and might lead to disability or death.

 

  • Some people have a weak immune system. They might not be able to protect themselves without the added help of vaccination and sometimes even then, they are not the same from the disease. So it is only right to get vaccinated so we are not a danger or a source of communicating the disease to those who are more susceptible.  This phenomenon is known as herd immunity. This protects people who are immune-compromised or can't be vaccinated for any reason.

 

  • Getting vaccinated is much more convenient and economical than getting treated for the disease these vaccinations were for.

 

  • If people get their shots regularly, there is little to no chance that any disease would turn into an epidemic.

 

Conclusion

It is very important to get your children and yourself vaccinated against all the diseases. Be vigilant about the shots of your children. Keep track of the vaccination shots you have gotten yourself and for your children. Manage all the vaccines at one place with the dates and be able to check back for the data with this free vaccines record app. Downloading the app is going to be the most efficient way to stay in touch with all the relevant information that can provide you with a healthy, risk-free life. With literally a single touch!

 

REFERENCES

1.    https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw255342#:~:text=Vaccines%20are%20the%20best%20way,serious%20complications%20and%20even%20death
2.    https://www.fhi.no/en/id/vaccines/childhood-immunisation-programme/why-is-vaccination-so-important/
3.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11586958/
4.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30422490/