From the moment we are conceived, the body looks for a way to protect us from external agents that can affect our health. To help with this protection, biological formulations are emerging that trigger an immune response, this is how vaccines work.
These arise after an exhaustive investigation and a rigorous analysis of the pathogens that cause the same disease and that are treated so that, when they come into contact with the organism, to activate the antibodies and, therefore, the defense system with which what we count
Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system that work like a great antivirus, something like the computer’s, reacting to the presence of foreign agents, such as bacteria, viruses or toxins.
They bind to a particular antigen to carry out actions to neutralize the pathogen and protect the organism.
In this sense, the purpose of vaccines is to stimulate and train the immune system to recognize and combat specific pathogens, preventing, protecting and eradicating infectious diseases.
Although there are millions of detractors of vaccines, it is no less true that their development and continued use are essential to safeguard our individual and collective health and well-being.
This article will clarify all the doubts you may have about vaccines and what they can do in your body.
what is a vaccine
Vaccines are biological products designed to stimulate the immune system and prevent infectious diseases.
They contain inactive or weakened parts of a pathogen (such as bacteria or viruses), or fragments of these agents (such as proteins or toxins), that stimulate an immune response in the body without causing full-blown disease.
It is for this reason that, for example, when we get the influenza vaccine, we feel a malaise similar to that of a cold. This is because the virus is being recognized by the antibodies and this process can take between one and two weeks.
When receiving a vaccine, the immune system is activated and can trigger a mild and transient response, such as a mild fever, muscle aches or malaise.
It is important to bear in mind that, although vaccines do not provide total protection, they do significantly reduce the risk of contracting the disease for which you are being immunized and, therefore, the complications that you may have.
Some of the diseases preventable with vaccination are: covid-19, cervical cancer, cholera, diphtheria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis B, influenza, rotavirus infections, meningitis, pneumonia, mumps and polio.
Diseases such as rabies, rubella, measles, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox, among others, are also prevented.
What is the goal of vaccines and their purpose?
The main objective of vaccines is to prevent infectious diseases and protect people’s health by stimulating and strengthening the immune system, the body’s natural defense mechanism.
Vaccines seek to achieve individual and collective immunity, as occurred with covid-19 when, by mid-March 2023, close to 72% of the world population had already received -at least- one dose of immunization.
The purpose of vaccines is to train the immune system to recognize and fight specific pathogens without the vaccinated person developing the full disease and, therefore, the complications that it entails.
What type or types of immunity do vaccines provide?
Depending on the protective mechanism involved, vaccines can provide different types of immunity.
- active immunization: Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce an active immune response, which means that the body itself generates antibodies, leading to the fact that, when the organism is exposed to that pathogen in real life, it reacts.
- humoral immunity: Some vaccines promote the production of antibodies, which circulate in the blood and other body fluids, ready to recognize and neutralize the specific pathogen if an infection occurs.
- cell immunity: In addition to antibodies, vaccines can also trigger a cellular immune response, activating T lymphocytes, which are capable of recognizing and destroying cells infected by the pathogen.
- mucosal immunity: Vaccines stimulate an immune response in the mucous membranes of the body, such as those of the nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract, helping to protect against infections that enter through these routes.
It is important to note that each vaccine can provide one or different types of immunity to strengthen the immune system and prevent disease or reduce its severity in case of infection.
Why is it so important to get vaccinated?
Vaccines provide a shield of protection against various infectious and preventable diseases.
They work in conjunction with the body’s natural defenses, creating immunity and reducing the chances of contracting certain diseases or suffering the complications of infection.
A correct immunization decreases the chances of transmitting diseases to your family and the community.
What is active and passive immunization?
- active immunization: This refers to the stimulation of the immune system to produce an active immune response, which means that the body itself generates specific antibodies and memory cells against a particular pathogen.
These vaccines contain non-infectious fragments of bacteria or viruses, a toxoid, or a whole, living microorganism weakened (attenuated) so that it does not cause disease.
- passive immunization: In this case, immunological protection that is achieved by the transfer of specific antibodies or components of the immune system from one immunized individual to another.
Unlike active immunity, where the individual’s own immune system produces the antibodies, in passive immunization the antibodies are acquired from external sources.
Some of these sources are blood and hyperimmune globulins, from people already immunized or who recover by themselves from the disease.
Conclusion
There are many myths about vaccines. There are even millions of detractors and anti-vaccine movements that ensure that, far from representing benefits to the body, they put people’s health at risk.
This has been one of the excuses for a large part of the world population not being immunized against Covid-19.
However, they are safe, since they have gone through a strict scientific process that allows us to know how the vaccines work before being approved and applied to the population that requires it.
2023-06-08 08:51:01
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