SHOULD I BE VACCINATED?

Before I give you an answer to this question, let me tell you what you might not know about this thing called vaccination.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination is injecting a dead microbe into an individual in order to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, preventing disease. This stimulates the immune system of the body, which is the natural disease-fighting system of the body. Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds. Vaccines are the substances injected into the body.

Vaccine-preventable diseases include tuberculosis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, influenza, hepatitis, yellow fever, meningitis and so many others can be prevented.

How does Vaccination really work?

We are exposed to pathogens (disease-causing organisms) every time and almost everywhere. The body has its own way of preventing these organisms from entering through the skin, mucus and cilia (microscopic hairs in our lungs). If these pathogens now find their way into our body, they have a subpart of them, called antigen which cause the production of antibodies in us. Antibodies are the soldiers of the body and are an important part of the immune system. Each soldier is trained to recognize one specific antigen and fight it. But on first exposure to a pathogen, it takes time for the production of these antibodies therefore the individual is susceptible and may come down with the disease.

Vaccines are weakened or inactive antigens, which stimulates the immune system of the body as mentioned earlier. This weakened version will not cause disease in the person receiving it, but will cause their immune system to respond as though it is exposed to the pathogen. This will the lead to production of antibodies. Vaccination is necessary, as it might be disastrous to wait for an individual to come in contact with some pathogens. Vaccines are sometimes given in multiple doses, this is to allow for production of long-lived antibodies which will rapidly fight pathogens.

Benefits of vaccination

• Disease Eradication and Elimination: Diseases which do not have extra-human reservoir can be easily eradicated by vaccination. This will require vaccination of the high population of the world. Polio type 2 has been successfully eliminated globally.

• Control of mortality, morbidity and complications: Mortality is the state of being subject to death, while morbidity is the state of suffering from a disease or a medical condition. Vaccination prevents us from diseases. Pre-exposure vaccine given to babies helps reduce childhood mortality rate. Hepatitis B and A vaccines can prevent disease even if exposed to it.

• Mitigation of disease severity: Diseases may occur in previously vaccinated individuals, but this will only be in mild form compared to those who were not vaccinated at all.

• Prevention of infection: Vaccination against infectious diseases like Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B has been efficacious. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has also been shown to have complete prevention against the disease.

• Protection of the unvaccinated population: When a lot of us are vaccinated against a particular disease, there’s a cover for those who cannot be for one reason or the other. This is called herd immunity. This promotes the health of a community and the world at large. Those who cannot get the vaccines would not encounter the disease from anywhere, as they are surrounded by vaccinated individuals.

• Prevention of related disease and cancer: Hepatitis B infection can cause liver cancer. Vaccination against this viral infection automatically prevents liver cancer from this source.

• Savings for healthcare and society: The mortality and morbidity prevented by the singular act of vaccination translates into long-term cost savings and potential economic growth. Resources spent of treating a disease can be channeled to another sector if the disease did not exist.

Who should be vaccinated?

Unless an individual has allergy to a particular vaccine or has previously reacted to a prior dose of a vaccine or the individual is pregnant, ill or has been advised by his/her doctor not to be vaccinated then everyone should be. There are also instances where age limits an individual.

Conclusion

Should you be vaccinated? Yes, you should. This is of great advantage to you and to everyone around you. It not such a painful procedure. Some are even painless. Therefore, any opportunity you get to be vaccinated please make use of it.

Written by- OGUNDEPO OLUWATOSIN

Edited by- EZEBUIRO LOIS

REFERENCES

1. Medical definition of Immunization. Retrieved from: https://www.medicinenet.com/vaccination/definition.htm
2. WHO Vaccines and Immunization. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1
3. How do Vaccines work. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-do-vaccines-work
4. Vaccination greatly reduces disease, disability, death and inequity worldwide. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/2/07-040089/en/