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Understanding the Significance of Vaccines
- anoushkapandit
- 57 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A vaccine is a pharmacologic compound that is composed of very small amounts of dead or weak germs, providing immunity against one or a few diseases. Vaccine is derived from the Latin word “vacca” that means “cow”, referring to how Edward Jenner used cowpox to prevent the spread of smallpox. Vaccines are known to train the body to fight off pathogenic invaders like viruses or bacteria, designed primarily for communicable diseases. While not common, there are some immunotherapies that are designated as vaccines that treat cancer.
Difference between Vaccination and Immunization
Vaccination and immunization are important terms when discussing the structure and the function of vaccines:
Vaccination: the administration of a vaccine like when receiving a shot.
Immunization: the process in the body that protects one against a disease, which can include vaccination.
Ingredients in a Vaccine
When considering the safety and efficiency of vaccines, it is essential to choose the appropriate ingredients that are tested before preparing the biological compound. Different vaccine ingredients serve three main purposes: keep the vaccine safe and long-lasting, use in production, and provide immunity.
To keep the vaccine safe and long-lasting, ingredients like preservatives and stabilizers are used. Preservatives are usually contained in vials of vaccines with more than one dose in order to protect the vaccine from external pathogenic organisms like bacteria. Stabilizers like gelatin allow for the other ingredients in the vaccine to keep functioning while it is prepared, stored, and transported.
Some ingredients are required when producing vaccines, but are not added for the vaccine to work. A majority of these ingredients are taken out after production, and only tiny amounts are left in the finished version of the vaccine. These ingredients in tiny amounts include cell culture material, germ-killing substances, and antibiotics.
Lastly, there are ingredients that build immunity in the body against specific diseases. The first type is an antigen, which are weakened, inactivated, or dead forms of microbes/toxins. Some vaccines use mRNA instructions for the body to make antigens. The second type is an adjuvant, which are substances that stimulate a stronger and more durable immune response.
How Vaccines Work in the Body
In the human body, the immune system consists of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that all function together to defend the body from invading germs that multiply and attack specific areas. This invasion is called an infection that causes diseases.
Vaccines train the immune system to recognize and attack harmful invaders promptly before they spread infection to the rest of the body, making a person sick. Vaccines are responsible for triggering the primary immune response, which is the body’s initial reaction when a pathogen invades for the first time. When the body recognizes the threat for the first time, it develops immune memory by activating specialized B and T cells. B cells produce antibodies. The antibodies are proteins that can either tag the pathogens to alert immune cells or they neutralize pathogens directly by binding to antigens to block their activity. In contrast, T cells attack and destroy invading cells to prevent the spread of infection. Thus, the administration of vaccines ensures stronger immune responses with memory B and T cells circulating in the body that are already prepared to fight off specific pathogens, preventing sickness. The secondary immune response (second time the body notices the same invader) occurs more rapidly with higher efficiency, preventing the pathogen from making more copies of itself.
Significance of Vaccines in the Community
While vaccines are given at an individual level, vaccines eventually provide a significant impact within a community by creating what is known as herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a significant proportion of a population becomes immune, either through acquiring previous infection or vaccination. As the number of healthy people who are vaccinated increases, the chances of getting the disease are lower, especially for the vulnerable individuals who cannot get certain vaccines. Thus, vaccines are among the most effective strategies in strengthening the immune system and preventing the spread of communicable diseases.
Works Cited:
Ginglen, Jacob G. and Michael Q. Doyle. “Immunization,” National Institutes of Health. 7
February 2023.
“How do vaccines work?” The University of Chicago Medicine. 4 December 2020.
“Vaccines,” Cleveland Clinic. 7 September 2022.
“Vaccines Protect You,” The United States Department of Health and Human Services. 4
April 2024.
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
