We have always heard from our elders that prevention is better than cure, so we are trying our level best to stay clear from diseases. The process includes healthy living, healthy eating habits, daily exercise, and positive changes to our lifestyle. But, there is another constructive way to fight against diseases before they even happen: vaccination.
What is a vaccine?
Vaccines are immuno-biological substances that produce specific killer or static action against the invading bacterias. It resembles activating the guards before any actual invasion of the body. Most of the time, the vaccines contain a dead or weak thread of the bacteria or virus from which we are trying to protect our bodies. The fragile virus is usually immunogenic but not strong enough to initiate the disease process.
Area of expertise
Our body has a very diverse and influential immune system to fight against bacteria, viruses, or any other form of foreign body. Here the immune system has different mechanisms and soldiers to fight against various organisms. So, when our innate immunity reduces due to trauma or other conditions, vaccines can boost up the protective fence to fight against the organism. Before we understand the mechanism more clearly, we need to know how vaccines protect us.
Mechanism of actionÂ
We already mentioned that the vaccines are immunogenic. It means the vaccines can initiate our immune system to produce antibacterial or antiviral actions without natural organisms in our body. Our immune system recognizes foreign particles through the cell wall proteins. So, vaccines use proteins to create a synthetic organism-like structure. It helps our innate immune system identify and keep the memories of the invading agent and prepare specific antidotes against it.
So, when the actual organism comes into our body, the immune mechanisms activate hastily and kill the offending organisms.
Can it be dangerous?
You might be thinking that introducing a dead virus or bacteria to initiate an immune mechanism can be devastating. It is valid to some extent, but you also have to remember that these strains go through extensive medical modulations to lose their infective trait. So, these strains usually can not produce any action in your body and do not increase the chances of the disease in the future. In fact, in most cases, vaccines could reduce the morbidity rates by ninety to ninety-seven percent. We all have seen the recent Ebola virus breakout in Africa and the vaccines nearly saved half of the world population from extinction.
Different vaccines
There are many different vaccines, and earlier, the vaccines only came for one disease at a time. But, slowly, we are excelling at bivalent and polyvalent vaccines too. Bivalent vaccines can prevent at least two infections or two different strains of one disease effectively. Nowadays, scientists are successfully using pentavalent vaccines to prevent a lot of conditions.
WHO and some other humanitarian billionaires took up the project to supply these highly effective vaccines for free in the developing countries of Southeast Asia and Africa.
Anti Vaxxer theory
Some people do not want to take the essential vaccines due to some propaganda or lack of knowledge. Most government has made at least six vaccines Essential for children under one year to prevent children mortality rates. But, these anti Vaxxer groups did not agree to take vaccines themselves or for their kids. They have excuses like the vaccine can counteract our natural immunity or even kill a person.
Hypersensitivity reactions can occur in any medicine, and vaccines are no different. But, nowadays, we have excellent protective mechanisms to fight an allergic reaction. So, you should vaccinate your child.