Embedded Files
See the Matariki Google site linked by a button on the Home page
VaccinationS
VaccinationS
vaccination is a way of giving nature a helping hand. We can be made immune to an infectious disease without actually contracting the infectious disease itself.
Vaccinations can help prevent some viral and bacterial infections.
Vaccinations usually contain dead or weakened (attenuated) viral and bacterial pathogens. They can also be made of modified toxins of a bacteria, just the antigens, and in some cases, harmless bacteria that have been genetically engineered to carry the antigens of a different disease-causing microbes.
Vaccines are injected into the body to deceive the immune system into 'thinking' that the person has the viral or bacterial infection.
When you are given a vaccination your immune system starts to produce antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that travel in the bloodstream. Antibodies 'attack' the bacterial or viral pathogen, or the toxins that some make. Some antibodies 'mark' or 'tag' the pathogen so that they can easily be recognised by other cells of the immune system and attacked.
Vaccinations stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against specific pathogens, so that if the specific pathogen is present again in the future then the immune system can quickly produce more of these antibodies against the specific pathogen, thus increasing the chance of fighting off the infectious disease.
In the case of viruses that mutate quite often, new versions of vaccines have to be made to act against the mutated viral strain. An example of this is the flu vaccine which is upgraded each year.
In different parts of the world you will find different infectious diseases. People who travel overseas should check with their doctor before visiting foreign countries about whether any vaccinations are recommended or necessary.
Check out the websites below to see which vaccines may be needed:
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/v/vaccines-international-travel/
The History of Vaccination
The History of Vaccination
Although most Science and History books would state that the first vaccination was performed by Edward Jenner in 1796, there is evidence that the Chinese used smallpox vaccination (variolation) as early as 1000 CE. Watch the video below to find out more about how Jenner used vaccination to provide immunity against smallpox.
In 1885, Louis Pasteur developed a rabies vaccine. Since then the development of vaccines has rapidly evolved.
Most recently, scientists all around the world worked quickly to develop reliable vaccinations against Covid-19.
Page updated
Report abuse