Safeness Of Vaccination - Free Essay Example

The phrase, an apple a day keeps the doctor away is analogous to the phrase it is always better to prevent a disease than treat it after it occurs because depending on the persons age and immune system, sometimes treatment can result to more harm than cure, especially for children. The only way to prevent hospitalizations is through vaccinations in order to prevent the disease. After a child is born, their body is not resilient and they are unable to produce much antibodies. It is factual that a newborn is temporarily immune during the beginning period of life because the baby possesses its mothers antibodies (CDC.org). However, with time and growth, when infants are first exposed to germs, their body recognizes the germs as foreign invaders known as antigens and their immune system automatically produces numerous protein macrophages called antibodies that can combat only those specific germs. This process takes time and if the body is unable to produce any antibodies, it can result to hospitalization where physicians would treat the patient with aggressive medications to assist the immune system and treat the infection. Ironically, the immune system also remembers that particular antigen that if the pathogen does invade the body again, even after many years, the antibodies will react quicker than a lightning bolt to persist the cause of a disease (CDC.org). This lifetime protection is known as immunity. The purpose of vaccines is to help prevent cause of disease. They contain inactive (dead) antigen that is injected into the dermis for the immune system to produce antibodies, not cause disease. For example, at birth the first dose of HepB (Hepatitis B) vaccine is given to prevent the virus from affecting the liver. According to kidshealth.org, those who are infected with HepB become lifelong carriers of the virus and may develop long-term problems such as cirrhosis (liver disease) or cancer of the liver. The injection fortunately provides long-term immunity from hepatitis B as well as eliminates the risk of cirrhosis, chronic liver disease or cancer. Vaccinations may be portrayed as a solution to avoiding bacterial infection, however there is a slight possibility for some infants and adults to develop allergic reaction, soreness or fever. Thus, it is safe to state, injections are safer than suffering from a disease.