There has been a lot of misunderstanding surrounding vaccines. However, they are a very important part of family life. Vaccines are there to prevent contagious diseases and deadly diseases from spreading. These diseases include chicken pox, diphtheria, HPV, measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough.
What are Vaccines?
Vaccines (also known as immunization) is a way for your body to build its immunity to disease before you become sick. A vaccine can, therefore, help you from becoming ill, or spreading a disease.
Most vaccines contain a somewhat weakened form of the disease that is injected into a person’s body. The vaccine is usually given in an arm or a leg. What happens next is your body will detect the germs and it will produce some antibodies to fight the germs. The good news is your body will hold onto those antibodies for a very long time. Some even stay in your body for the rest of your life. If you ever become exposed to the disease again your body will be able to fight it off.
Some illnesses are relatively mild, however, others such as polio or smallpox can be life-changing illnesses and they can be fatal. This is why it’s so important that you take preventative measures to avoid falling ill.
Improving your Health
Every single person on earth needs to have a vaccine. Vaccines are recommended for babies, children, and teenagers, along with adults. Many vaccination schedules are available and they show you what vaccines you should have and when you should have them. Your local community healthcare outreach center can help you and your family have the vaccines they need.
A child should ideally have 14 vaccinations by the time they are 6 years old. Some vaccines come in a series whereas others will have to be given individually.
Vaccines and Their Side Effects
Some vaccines come with side effects and while they are usually quite mild there can be swelling and redness at the site of the injection. Children can occasionally develop a fever but it’s usually nothing to worry about. The symptoms will typically disappear after a few days.
If We No Longer Vaccinate Our Children
If we stopped vaccinating our children and the adults who need to be vaccinated all those horrible diseases will return. Smallpox and other life-threatening illnesses will be epidemic. Japan created a whooping cough vaccine in the 1970s. However, there were rumors that the vaccine was unsafe. In 1979, there was an epidemic and more than 41 deaths occurred. These deaths could have been avoided by the vaccine.
Vaccines and Autism
Contrary to some beliefs, vaccines do not cause autism. The paper that originally suggested they did has been discredited and the doctor responsible lost his license to practice medicine. Children who have autism are born with it and have the condition before they are vaccinated.
Vaccines are hugely important and they can have a positive effect on the health of you and your family. If you or your family are due a vaccine make sure you have them as soon as you can.