|
ABOUT VACCINATION
Why do you need vaccines for your child
?
India suffers from a vast
spectrum of diseases caused by infections and they cause poor health
of children and in many instances leads to premature death of
children.
Medical science has identified 6 killer diseases of childhood and
named them VIP DISEASES (Vaccine Preventable Diseases ) . These are
Tuberculosis , Polio ( Poliomyelitis ) , Measles, Tetanus ,
Diphtheria and Pertussis ( Whooping Cough ) .
Fortunately , medical science has been able to prepare vaccines
against all these and it is naturally your duty towards your family
to take advantage of these vaccines.
You shall find details about these diseases and their vaccines in
the pages to follow.
What is the scientific basis of Vaccination ?
Vaccination ( or Immunization ) is the process of
utilizing the immune system of the body to build antibodies ( either
T Cell based of B Cell based ) against the germ that we are trying
to protect the body against.
The procedure involves introducing a small quantity of the same germ
in the body as a vaccine. Soon as the body recognizes this germ ,
the immune system comes into action and builds an antibody response
against the germ. This is quite like a battle where the moment the
foreign invader ( the germ ) is recognized , the army ( the immune
system) is deployed and the invader is checked at the point of entry
before he can spread ( spread of infection ) and cause damage. The
second time the body is attacked by the germ , the body already has
a specific immune response available for the germ and the entry is
arrested immediately.
Now you can well imagine that if the body had no previous experience
with the germ ( i.e. an unvaccinated child ) - this germ would be
the first experience for the body - there would no immune defense
available and the germ would spread easily in the body and cause its
damage unchecked.
|
