The stigma surrounding what vaccines do and how they really work can be overwhelming. In times like these, it is important to not only be educated about what they do, but why it is so important to get vaccinated.
Guest writer: Eric Kemp, Clinical Research Coordinator, Centricity Research
What are vaccines made up of? Majority of vaccines are a formulation of a weakened virus or bacteria. When you get these vaccines you are not being injected with the actual disease, rather an incredibly weakened form that your body is able to easily deal with.
So, what exactly happens after the vaccine enters the body? When your body notices this weakened form of the disease, its internal alarms are triggered, signaling that there is an intruder. The body then reacts to this is by attacking the source of the alarm, actively attempting to kill it. To get rid of this ‘infection’, there are a number of cells and mechanisms involved. Basically, white blood cells (immunity cells that protect our health) are sent to the source of the ‘infection’. Since the vaccine introduced a very weak form of the virus/bacteria into the body, our immune system has no trouble at all successfully destroying it. When our white blood cells defeat the virus/bacteria, parts of the ‘infection’ are actually left behind – these are called antigens. Beta-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, analyze these new antigens and produces what are known as antibodies, our secret weapon against infections.
What happens now if we ever contract that virus/bacteria after being vaccinated? Cells in the immune system have remembered that antibodies have already been produced, sending them to destroy the infection. In other words, a vaccine creates a special task force designed specifically for that disease, preventing you from getting sick.
What’s important to understand is that you cannot get the disease from a vaccine. Sometimes, in response to your body attacking the weakened infection after being vaccinated, minor symptoms like a fever, muscle aches, or a general feeling of being unwell can occur. This only happens because your body is on red alert and is doing its job identifying an intruding infection!
It is important to be vaccinated. Not only for yourself, but for those around you and your community. In fact, the more people that are immune to a disease/illness, the less likely it is to be spread to those who aren’t vaccinated. Doing your part is necessary for not only your health, but the health of everyone else around you. When it’s time to be vaccinated, make sure to do your part to be educated and stay healthy.
All vaccines are extensively tested to be safe and effective. Before being recommended to the general public, vaccines must undergo years of clinical trials to show that they actually work. If you are interested to learn more about the advancement of future vaccine research, contact us at [email protected] or by filling out the contact form below.
For extend resources outlining the importance of vaccinations, please see below: