Vaccines: Safe, Effective, Necessary
"I can't believe we're going back when we've come this far." These were the words of my incredulous microbiology professor commenting on the unfortunate surge of the new "antivaxx" movement. I share in his sentiments and I know many other researchers, doctors, and public health officials do too. In this post, I will outline why vaccines matter and how we can continue to protect ourselves and our communities from deadly diseases.
1. How Do Vaccines Work?
According to the WHO, a vaccine is a "biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease." This means that vaccines help teach our immune system what to attack; we expose it to a substance and then the next time our bodies encounter the substance, it recognizes it and has the proper defense. Typically, vaccines are made from dead or debilitated microbes, their specific toxins, or certain surface proteins. Our immune systems are complex, effective, intelligent, and excellent learners.
2. What is "Herd Immunity?"
"Herd immunity" is a term often used in the healthcare setting when discussing the importance of vaccines. This phrase describes the powerful benefit of majority vaccine. Basically, if enough individuals in a community are vaccinated, those who are may not be eligible for a certain vaccination (infants/immunocompromised individuals/pregnant women) are still protected because the outbreak or epidemic of a disease is controlled.
3. Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
No. There is no link between vaccines and autism. Numerous legitimate research studies have proved these rumors.This is a grievous myth that was made popular by a reality-TV star and faulty research. Scientists still do not know what exactly causes autism, but they can certainly mark this off the list.
4. What Diseases Have Vaccines Eradicated?
Smallpox is the only disease that has been completely eradicated thanks to vaccination. However, we are very close to eradicating polio. The seven diseases that vaccines have brought under control include smallpox, diphtheria, tetanus, yellow fever, whooping cough, polio, and measles. This is incredible progress, and it will continue with continued vaccination.
5. What Vaccines Should I Get When?
Great question! Thinking ahead and being mindful of the timing of vaccination is important. Thankfully there are many organizations that offer schedules, handouts, and guides of vaccinating the right away. Also, ask your primary care provider about vaccines and look for informational sheets in hospitals and doctor's offices. The CDC has an excellent schedule found at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-combined-schedule-bw.pdf. Vaccinating is one of the most important and powerful tools for protecting you and your family from deadly diseases.
Sources: WHO, Vaccines.gov, Sanofi Pastuer Inc, CDC, and Unicef.
