What is a vaccine?
In a vaccine attenuated pathogens or their toxins (called toxins) to be injected or swallowed. These are so far weakened that they no longer cause disease, but stimulate the body to form antibodies. As with a natural disease is the organism, the so-called antibodies that can protect him even at a later infection by the pathogen. This is called active immunization, because the body itself must be active, ie its own defense system is in force. Unfortunately, this protection usually lasts only a few years and the vaccine has therefore to be refreshed regularly. Lifetime coverage is usually only when the disease has been through it.
When a vaccine is useful?
Generally, there is no compulsory vaccination in Many countries Everyone can decide for yourself whether he or his child can be vaccinated. However, it is advised all parents to vaccinate their children. Only through a complete vaccination before children are least affected diseases properly protected. Indeed, even seemingly harmless childhood diseases can cause serious complications, for example, the heart or brain attack. Only through a broad vaccination program was dangerous diseases such as diphtheria and tuberculosis in Western Europe almost the smallpox disease eradicated worldwide throughout. However, if vaccine fatigue in the population, such diseases can spread quickly again. The goal of the World Health Organization is in the next few years, polio, which mainly exists in countries of the third world often appears to exterminate.
Vaccination is useful when:
* The disease occurs in Europe or travel, or a longer stay is planned in countries where the
* Particular disease still occurs.
* The disease is dangerous itself (eg tetanus).
* drag the disease dangerous damage to you (eg polio, measles, etc.) can.
* There is no effective medication for the disease exist (eg, diphtheria).
* An increased disease risk (indication vaccination).
Rationale for vaccination
* The main argument for vaccination is protection against the risk of diseases such as Diphtheria or polio which carry long-term health damage or even death.
* A good vaccination of the population can be disease is greatly reduced or even stopped.
* Vaccinations done on healthy volunteers. The body is strong enough to make adequate protective substances, while the disease often occurs in already reduced immune response and thus taxed twice.
* In today's modern vaccines are very rare serious complications.
* The risk of allergic reactions is low in modern vaccines.
* Vaccinations are cheaper for the state as the result of damage (eg, treatment and care of a disabled child) that would cause the diseases.
Arguments against vaccination
* A well-made children's disease, in contrast to vaccination offers a lifetime of protection.
* Vaccination means to the infant a strain.
* The vaccine may be mild vaccine reactions (redness and swelling at the injection site, fever,
* Fatigue, diarrhea, restlessness) may occur.
Vaccine damage:
Vaccine damage is damage that are caused by vaccination and beyond the usual exceeds the level of vaccination. Are especially feared brain damage that can lead to a permanent mental or physical disability. The problem is to determine whether a disease is caused by the vaccine or only at the same time as the vaccination occurred, and it would have happened even without vaccination for this disease. In rare cases it can cause a severe vaccine damage. However, none of the approved vaccines calls forth more and more serious complications than the disease itself, which is thereby prevented. That vaccine damage be evaluated at the present time in part, is because of the good immunization coverage of infants hardly occur or the actual disease, and one example the clinical picture of poliomyelitis in Germany barely knows. In all suspected vaccine damage immediately, a doctor should be consulted.
