The Importance of Vaccination

A few weeks ago I had just gotten hired to work at a local hospital and as a part of the job requirements each employee must receive various vaccinations. This past Monday, 3/22/10, I had finally completed all of my pre-job requirements and as a part of the requirements I had to receive a shot, a TB shot. Not remembering my childhood vaccinations I had to call my mother and ask what are all the diseases or viruses I had been vaccinated for and she gave me a list. Having this encounter I began to think about all the required vaccinations and the soon to be required vaccinations such as the vaccination for HPV. Vaccination for HPV isn't required across the country yet but is in some areas. I spoke with my cousin Thursday 3/25/10 and she informed me on how her little sisters in junior high and high school are required to have the vaccine for HPV. A lot of people receive vaccinations for requirements such as work or school but do they really understand why they get them and how they work?

What are vaccinations?

The administering of an antigeic material (any foreign substance) to allow the development of an immune response.

How do vaccinations work?

A patient is injected with weak or very mild forms of the acutal virus. The injection is weak enough so that the patient wont actually get the virus but strong enough so that the body becomes familiar with it to develop immunity or protection agianst it.

Why are vaccinations important?

The word vaccination origanally comes from the Latin word vaca meaning cow because it was first developed for cowpox by two scientist who kept record of people infected and realized that once they were infected and if they survided they didn't get the virus agian. These two scientist Von Behring and Kitasato in 1890 came up with the idea of making a virus themselves by getting it from mild forms in patients who had already been exposed and then inject it into others as the mild form. They were successful. Vaccinations are important because they present the immune system with a mild form of the virus allowing the immune system to fight the mild form, develop protection and memory so that whenever exposed again the body would be able to handle it.

Common Vaccinations

Chickenpox (varicella)
Age 12–15 months
Diphtheria
Age 2 months
Haemophilus influenza type b infections (such as meningitis)
Age 2 months
Hepatitis A
Age 12–18 months
Hepatitis B
Birth
Human papillomavirus (for girls)
Age 11 years
Influenza
Age 6 months
Measles
Age 12–15 months
Meningococcal meningitis
Age 11–12 years
Age 2 years for children at high risk
Mumps
Age 12–15 months
Pertussis
Age 2 months
Pneumococcal infections
Age 2 months
Polio
Age 2 months
Rotavirus
Age 2 months
Rubella (German measles)
Age 12–15 months
Tetanus
Age 2 months

the Merck Manuals online Library http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch189/ch189b.html