Vaccination Facts

Vaccination helps to protect you against an infectious disease by exposing you to a mild or dead version of the germ in order to make your body build up protection in the form of antibodies.
Vaccination is also called immunization, because it builds up your resistance or immunity to a disease.
In passive immunization you are injected with substances such as antibodies which have already been exposed to the germ. This gives instant but short-lived protection.
Vaccinations are crucial in many tropical regions where diseases are more widespread.
In active immunization you are given a killed or otherwise harmless version of the germ. Your body makes the antibodies itself for long-term protection.
Children in many countries arc given a series of vaccinations as they grow up, to protect them against diseases such as polio, diphtheria and tetanus.
The measles vaccine carries a 1-in-87,000 chance of causing encephalitis (brain inflammation).
In cholera, typhoid, rabies and flu vaccines, the germ in the vaccine is killed to make it harmless.
In measles, mumps, polio and rubella vaccines, the germ is live attenuated – this means that its genes or other parts have been altered in order to make it harmless.
In diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, the germ’s toxins (poisons) are removed (4) make them harmless.
The hepatitis B vaccine can be prepared by genetic engineering.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.