Vaccines are a less potent version of the disease they aim to fight against. There are very important because when one has an immune system prepped to identify and fight a disease, the possibility of contacting the disease is highly mitigated. Even after having direct contact with an infected person.
There are various types of vaccines, but the main two are; live attenuated and inactivated vaccines. Like the names imply, Live attenuated means that a weakened version of the disease causing organism is prepared and used to create immunity, which can confer a life time immunity to the disease. While Inactivated is the killed disease causing organism used to give immunity. Unlike the live attenuated, inactivated vaccines do not confer life immunity and requests booster shots to keep immunity up.
Other types of vaccines involve using of components to the disease causing organism. Like using a protein or toxin to help the immune system target the specific component on the organism in a way to fight off the disease.
Vaccines have helped save millions of lives by preventing childhood illnesses and curbing epidemics and pandemics all over the world. With continued work on creation of vaccines, the present Covid-19 pandemic will soon be highly mitigated.
Until then, remember to take responsibility by practicing the hygiene rules and obeying set down rules from World Health Organisation and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
#StayhomeStaysafe
#VaccinesWorkforAll
#WorldImmunizationWeek
