How does immunization work?

What is immunization and how does it work?

How can a needle filled with liquid keep you and your family safe from some diseases?

When you get certain diseases, your body generates antibodies to fight the disease and help you get better. In some cases these antibodies stay in your body even after the disease has gone and protect you from getting the same illness again. This is called immunity.

For diseases that have an available vaccine, you don’t have to get sick to develop immunity; you can get the vaccine.
Vaccines contain tiny amounts of viruses or bacteria that are dead, weakened, or have purified components that prompt the immune system to produce antibodies that will attack the virus or bacteria to prevent disease.

Some vaccines may not produce sufficient immunity with one dose. This is why some vaccines include a second or third dose, while certain vaccines only require one dose.
For some diseases, we need “booster” doses because the protection of the vaccine wears off over time.

However, no vaccine will work for 100% of the people who receive it. That’s why the more people who are immunized, the greater the impact on the community. This is referred to as herd immunity.

Other names for immunization are: needles, baby shots, vaccines and/or vaccinations.

To learn more about immunization and how it works – visit the links provided below:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/med/immuniz-eng.php

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/immun/immunization.html

http://www.immunizebc.ca/WhyImmunize/work.htm

http://www.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-science/how-do-vaccines-work.html

http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/About_Immunisation/Science/What_is_a_vaccine