Vaccines

💉 VACCINES :

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and to further recognize and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the future. 

💉Effects :

The efficacy or performance of the vaccine is dependent on a number of factors:

• the disease itself (for some diseases vaccination performs better than for others)
• the strain of vaccine (some vaccines are specific to, or at least most effective against, particular strains of the disease)
• whether the vaccination schedule has been properly observed.
• idiosyncratic response to vaccination; some individuals are "non-responders" to certain vaccines, meaning that they do not generate antibodies even after being vaccinated correctly.
• assorted factors such as ethnicity, age, or genetic predisposition.

If a vaccinated individual does develop the disease vaccinated against (breakthrough infection), the disease is likely to be less virulent than in unvaccinated victims.

💉 Different types of vaccines:

There are five main types of vaccines:

1) Attenuated (live) vaccines,

2) Inactivated vaccines, 

3) Toxoid vaccines, 

4) Subunit vaccines, and 

5) Conjugate vaccines.

💉 Veterinary medicine :

Vaccinations of animals are used both to prevent their contracting diseases and to prevent transmission of disease to humans. Both animals kept as pets and animals raised as livestock are routinely vaccinated. In some instances, wild populations may be vaccinated. This is sometimes accomplished with vaccine-laced food spread in a disease-prone area and has been used to attempt to control rabies in raccoons.

Where rabies occurs, rabies vaccination of dogs may be required by law. Other canine vaccines include canine distemper, canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, adenovirus-2, leptospirosis, bordatella, canine parainfluenza virus, and Lyme disease, among others.

DIVA (Differentiation of Infected from Vaccinated Animals), also known as SIVA (Segregation of Infected from Vaccinated Animals), vaccines make it possible to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals.

Scientists have put and still, are putting much effort in applying the DIVA principle to a wide range of infectious diseases, such as, for example, classical swine fever, avian influenza, Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia and Salmonella infections in pigs.

💉 Vaccination schedule :

Can babies’ immune systems handle so many vaccines?

Yes. Studies demonstrate that infants’ immune systems can handle receiving many vaccines at once—more than the number currently recommended. The immunization schedule is based on infants’ ability to generate immune responses, as well as when they are at risk of certain illnesses. For example, the immunity passed from mother to child at birth is only temporary, and typically does not include immunity against polio, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and other diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

What is herd immunity? Is it real? Does it work?

Herd immunity, also known as community immunity, refers to the protection offered to everyone in a community by high vaccination rates. With enough people immunized against a given disease, it’s difficult for the disease to gain a foothold in the community. This offers some protection to those who are unable to receive vaccinations—including newborns and individuals with chronic illnesses—by reducing the likelihood of an outbreak that could expose them to the disease.

                                Thank you.