Darrick Robles According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we have so far developed vaccines for more than 20 life-threatening diseases. These vaccines help prevent 2-3 million deaths each year. Recently, millions of people across Europe have been vaccinated against Covid-19, which has drastically reduced the number of cases.
“Vaccines are the most important development in the history of medical science,” says Dr. Annette Alaeus. They save millions of lives and protect entire societies.
dr Annette Alaeus is a Physician at Med-Healths and a specialist in infectious diseases. Here she answers the most frequently asked questions about vaccination.
How do vaccines work?
“Vaccines work by mimicking a mild form of a natural infection,” said Dr. alaeus “They stimulate the immune system to form antibodies. Antibodies are made specifically for a particular pathogen, usually a virus or a type of bacteria.”
This means that the body knows what to do when it actually encounters the pathogen. Instead of a harmful or even fatal infection, the person usually has only a mild infection or no infection at all. In medicine, we call this immunization ,” explains Dr. alaeus
What is the difference between antigens and antibodies?
Every pathogen has a unique set of proteins on its surface called antigens. When the pathogen enters the body, the immune system learns to form immune cells that are directed against these antigens. These cells are called antibodies.
The antibodies and antigens fit together like a lock and key. When an antibody encounters the antigen it is designed to fight, it binds to it and destroys the pathogen. The harmless residues are eliminated from the body. After the initial infection, so-called memory cells remain in the body, which can “remember” antigens. As a result, antibodies can be formed more quickly in the event of a renewed infection.
Can a vaccination give me the disease it’s supposed to prevent?
That depends on the type of vaccine. Live vaccines train the immune system by releasing a weakened version of the pathogen. For example, people who have been vaccinated against measles may develop a small rash and a low-grade fever . However, the symptoms are much milder than when full disease erupted.
Other vaccines deliver an inactivated (or killed) version of the pathogen that does not cause disease symptoms. Examples include the inactivated polio vaccine and some inactivated influenza vaccines .
Some Covid-19 vaccines use new technology that works with messenger RNA (mRNA) . It provides a genetic code that the body uses to form Covid-19 antibodies. Humans cannot get Covid-19 through the vaccine.
You can find more information about the Covid-19 vaccines in our Corona Updates .
Why is vaccination so important to society?
“Vaccinations are extremely important for public health,” said Dr. Alaeus. “Vaccines have given us the ability to save lives and reduce hospitalizations . They have also helped protect people from the harmful long-term effects of some infections .”
Before the polio vaccine, for example, people who survived the infection were often left with terminal health problems, such as paralysis or difficulty breathing. Polio is an acronym for poliomyelitis, a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the polio virus.
At the societal level, vaccines reduce the financial and human costs associated with hospitalization and long-term health problems.
What is herd immunity?
Herd immunity helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases. It is the main goal of most vaccination campaigns.
It occurs when the majority of people in a country or region have some level of immunity to a disease. People may have developed antibodies by fighting the infection naturally or by vaccination.
“Polio and measles, for example, have been nearly eradicated thanks to vaccine-induced herd immunity. Now we only see outbreaks when a group of people decides not to get vaccinated,” says Dr Alaeus.
What is vaccine resistance – and why is it increasing?
“ Some viruses go through many mutations . Sometimes a new strain can replace the strain we developed the vaccine against. That means we have to adjust the vaccine to make sure it’s still effective,” says Dr Alaeus.
Despite much media coverage of vaccine resistance in recent months, Dr. Alaeus that this is not a common phenomenon.
Most viruses and bacteria are very stable. However , some respiratory viruses, such as influenza viruses and to some extent the coronavirus, can adapt to evade immunity.
“But science is prepared for it. We have new technologies and manufacturers and researchers can adapt the vaccines to the dominant strain of the virus,” she adds.
Why should parents vaccinate their children?
“Vaccinations are part of health care. They help prevent potentially dangerous, long-term effects of infectious diseases,” says Dr. alaeus Childhood vaccinations also have societal benefits. Even if an unvaccinated child does not suffer greatly from an infection, it can easily transmit it to others: for example, grandparents or people with weakened immune systems.
Should I get vaccinated before a trip?
Every country’s immunization schedule is designed to protect its population from the diseases they are most likely to be exposed to at home. When travelers go abroad, they may come into contact with other pathogens there – and they may lack antibodies to fight off those pathogens. In addition, they can bring serious illnesses home with them.
That is why the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends travel vaccinations for everyone who travels from Germany to certain countries. In many countries, those entering the country are even obliged to present proof of certain vaccinations (e.g. yellow fever or polio).
