A vaccine is a product that is given to people with the aim of preventing infectious diseases or reducing the symptoms that they may produce.
Although most of them are by injection, there are some administered nasally or orally.
By administering a vaccine to the person, it teaches the body how to defend itself against microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria, should they get infected. For this reason, it is considered essential in the prevention and control of diseases.
Over the years, the recurring use of vaccines has helped protect people from diseases that used to be more common and dangerous, such as diphtheria, meningitis, mumps, polio, measles, tetanus, and whooping cough.
When asked what are vaccines for, the facts prove that, if not properly vaccinated, many of these diseases can lead to serious illness or lifelong disabilities, even some that are life-threatening.
Vaccines generally need several applications to achieve the necessary protection and to maintain it over the years. There are also some combination vaccines, where several vaccines are found in a single dose.
What is the importance of vaccines?
Worldwide, vaccines save between three and five million lives per year, proving to be a fundamental tool in the protection of people and thus explaining what vaccines are for.
Generally, most vaccines are prescribed shortly after birth, because babies have short-lived natural protection, which has been transmitted by their mother in the placenta.
Disease prevention
Although it is not essential to get all the vaccines, each country has a list of those recommended and others will be requested exclusively before traveling to risk areas.
Among the different diseases that can be fought with the use of vaccines are:
- Cervical cancer
- Cholera
- COVID-19
- Diphtheria
- Japanese encephalitis
- Yellow fever
- Typhoid fever
- Flu
- Hepatitis B
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Parotiditis
- Poliomyelitis
- Rabies
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
- Measles
- Whooping cough
- Chickenpox
If you have questions about what are vaccines for, come to the Preventive Medicine area and find out everything about vaccination for adults or to the Pediatric Center for more information on vaccines for children. At ABC Medical Center we can provide you with specialized care, contact us!
Fuente:
https://www.who.int/es/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization
https://www.unicef.org/parenting/es/salud/lo-que-debes-saber-sobre-vacunas-infantiles
https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/asistencia/vida-saludable/vacunas
