Importance of Vaccination: Reason to Take Vaccination Today

Every parent wants the best for their child; the child’s health is their top priority. While you may try to do everything in your capacity to protect your child from all diseases, it is fairly impossible for you to be with your little one 24x7. Hence, it is in their best interest that you get your kids vaccinated on time to protect them from those illnesses.

What are Vaccines?

A vaccine or an immunization dose is a protocol to build your child’s natural immunity against a particular disease before actually falling sick. A vaccine contains a weakened or dead form of the disease-causing micro-organism that is introduced orally or through an injection into your body. The disease-causing germs contain proteins also known as antigens are detected by your body’s army which then produces antibodies. This gives your body a memory to bank on about the behavior of the particular vaccinated microorganism. If you are exposed to this disease in the future ever again, then your body will remember the past association and will fight off the disease without you even falling sick. While some diseases like the flu, typhoid, are chickenpox may be self-limiting in a healthy child, there are some others like polio, and tuberculosis, which are deadly and can cause too many fatal and life-altering changes

5 Important Reasons to Vaccinate Today

Vaccinations are probably the most important thing that you can do to protect your children from ill health. Since the invention of vaccines, deadly diseases like smallpox, polio, and tetanus which killed millions of humans, are either gone or occur very rarely.

Here are the 5 Most Necessary Reasons for Getting your Child Vaccinated Today.

Vaccines Help Prevent Deadly Diseases

There are a variety of viruses and bacteria thriving on this planet that can cause various illnesses and death. These germs can be passed on from one human to another if they are not protected by vaccines. Even if a particular disease is not prevalent in your country, when you happen to travel around the world, the risk of disease transmission increases due to the lack of vaccination

Vaccines are Very Safe

There is a big booming myth that vaccines are not safe and that they can cause autism or other mental or physical illnesses. There is no strong data that support these false claims. The chances of your child developing a preventable disease are higher than developing a side effect after being vaccinated. While vaccines do involve mild discomfort and can cause pain and redness at the site of injection, that is very minimal. As compared to the serious effects and trauma caused by deadly diseases, bearing mild pain due to vaccines is manageable.

Vaccines are Health Protective

Getting regular doses of immunizations will help protect you against innumerable infections throughout your life. If you do happen to skip taking vaccines, you end up being vulnerable to diseases like influenza, HPV, hepatitis B, and pneumococcal diseases. On fulfilling your immunization protocol, you can be assured that you are reasonably protected against all these illnesses.

Vaccines Help Protect Future Generations

Many diseases have been reduced in prevalence or in some cases, also been eliminated from the world. For example, smallpox, a deadly disease, which was responsible for many fatalities and disabilities around the world, has been eradicated worldwide, all thanks to continuous vaccinations being taken by humans across the globe. The current generation does not need to take the smallpox vaccine as the disease no longer exists. We are almost there with polio on a global scale. A pregnant mother is given the Rubella vaccine to protect her from getting Rubella which could have a major malformation in the fetus.

Vaccines Help Save Time and Money

If you have got your child and yourself vaccinated, you are safe from many of the preventable deadly diseases. Some diseases are known to cause prolonged disabilities and can also take a financial and mental toll on you because of the time lost at work or school, the long medical bills, long-term disability care, or even constant hospital visits. All this can be avoided by just taking a vaccine against these preventable diseases.

How Does a Vaccine Work?

The vaccine once injected or given orally releases the inactivated or dead virus or bacteria into your body. This is the antigen that is seen as dangerous by your body’s white blood cells. Your body’s immune system now learns to create antibodies against this virus or bacteria that will help protect you from the disease. This kind of learning is much safer for your immune system rather than actually contracting the disease and then treating it. Vaccines usually provide long-term immunity. This means once your immune system has learned how to fight a disease, it can protect you against the disease for a long time.

Apart from your own health concerns, every individual has a public health commitment to the community to protect each other. This can be achieved only through vaccinating your family members and yourself. Do not fear the mild temporary side effects of vaccines and avoid the long-term benefits. Complete your child’s and your immunization schedule today and help keep your family and your community safe.

Which Diseases have Vaccines?

Vaccinations are a crucial part of any healthcare program. They play a major role in strengthening the immune system as well as tackling diseases.  People get exposed to countless bacteria, viruses, and various other microbes. However, not every disease needs vaccinations. It is important to identify the diseases that are better dealt with vaccinations. The list of those diseases is below:

• Chickenpox
• Diphtheria
• Influenza (flu)
• Diphtheria
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Meningococcal infection
• Measles
• Mumps
• Poliomyelitis (polio)
• Pneumococcal infection
• Rubella (German measles)
• Rotavirus
• Shingles (Herpes zoster)
• Tetanus
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• COVID-19 infection

Benefits of Vaccinations:

There are countless reasons that prove vaccines to be extremely vital for human beings. These are:

Offers Prevention and Safety

Vaccinations protect individuals from infectious diseases and keep communities safe. Vaccines work by training the body’s natural defenses (the immune system) to recognize and fight off disease-causing germs. This means that a vaccinated person is less likely to get sick from those germs in the future. Vaccines also help prevent the spread of disease to other people. 

Help Save Lives and Eliminate Diseases

Another reason why vaccination is important is that it can save lives and also destroy the presence of diseases. Vaccines for polio and smallpox have already been introduced, and these two conditions have been eliminated across the globe.

The importance of vaccination can be understood through the following points:

• t strengthens our body against several fatal health conditions like diphtheria
• It prevents the spread of the disease
• Vaccination helps stop the spread of any specific disease in society when enough people are vaccinated
• It reduces the symptoms and the duration of the infection (if it still occurs after the vaccination)
• It prevents the development of antibiotic resistance in the body

Conclusion
Vaccination is important for both adults and children. It will keep them protected from the most deadly diseases effectively. WHO collaborates with nations to inform people about the importance of vaccinations and to make sure that the process is done properly. 
 

Reviewed By

Dr. Hemlata Arora (Sr Consultant - Internal Medicine)

Dr. Hemlata Arora, Senior Consultant,  Internal Medicine, and Infectious Diseases, Nanavati Max Hospital has an experience of 21 years in the field. She also heads the Adult Vaccination Program and specializes in the management of all viral, bacterial, and communicable diseases. Dr. Hemalata Arora has completed her MBBS and DNB - General Medicine from KEM Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College.