• The article discusses the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and how they have been used to control certain diseases.
• Vaccines stimulate a person’s immune system to produce antibodies that protect them from infection or disease.
• Vaccines are safe, effective, and can save lives.
What Are Vaccines?
Vaccines are biological preparations that stimulate a person’s immune system to produce antibodies that protect them from infection or disease. They are typically composed of weakened or killed forms of the virus, bacteria, or other microorganisms that cause a particular disease, and are usually administered through injection, ingestion, or inhalation.
Why Do We Need Vaccines?
Vaccines can help prevent many serious illnesses such as measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), polio (poliomyelitis), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (lockjaw), rotavirus diarrhea in children and adults alike. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available for preventing disease and death among both children and adults.
Are Vaccines Safe?
Yes! Vaccines are safe. Although rare side effects may occur after vaccination, serious complications are extremely rare. Before any vaccine is approved for use in Canada it must undergo rigorous safety testing by Health Canada’s independent experts who ensure vaccines meet high standards for safety and effectiveness before they can be authorized for use in Canada.
Are Vaccines Effective?
Yes! When enough individuals within a population receive a vaccine it creates what is known as “herd immunity” which has been highly successful at controlling many infectious diseases such as smallpox which was eradicated worldwide due to vaccination efforts in 1980. As well as reducing the spread of communicable diseases within populations herd immunity also protects those who cannot be vaccinated due to age or medical conditions.
Conclusion
Vaccines are important tools used to protect against serious infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), polio (poliomyelitis), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus (lockjaw). They are both safe and effective at protecting individuals from these illnesses while also helping with herd immunity which reduces the spread of communicable diseases within populations especially those who cannot be vaccinated due to age or medical conditions.
