The importance of getting vaccines

Vaccines are arguably one of the most important and effective tools to prevent disease and support the health of the community. Since the implementation of routine childhood immunizations, the United States has seen a dramatic decline in the prevalence of diseases such as smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, rubella, measles, mumps and haemophilus influenza type b (Hib).

However, an increasing number of individuals are choosing not to vaccinate children. For your health and that of your loved ones, educate yourself on the benefits and risks of vaccination.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines contain a weakened or dead part of the virus or organism (also known as a "pathogen" responsible for disease) to cause our immune system to build immunity and avoid disease. The immune system is a collection organs and cells that work together to prevent disease by recognizing germs or "foreign" organisms and attacking them. By exposure to a weakened form of the pathogen, our body is able to create an ability to fight the infection without first becoming sick with the disease. Vaccines do not cause disease but rather provide protection from a dangerous disease.

Safety:

Serious reactions are very rare. If a reaction occurs, the symptoms are mild and include a rash, irritability, mild fever, or sore injection site. Current research has found no association with the development of autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "There are about a million words in the 7-volume series of Harry Potter books. If we let each of those words represent a dose of vaccine, then one word, somewhere within the 7 books' 4,224 pages, would represent the risk of a severe allergic reaction."

Benefits:

Vaccinations can prevent serious illness, medical expenses and disease outbreaks in your community. The vaccine preventable diseases are less commonly seen today due to routine childhood immunization; however, the serious nature of the diseases cannot be disregarded when considering vaccinations. Many of these diseases can be life-threatening or disabling for those who contract the disease. By providing the body with exposure to the "germ" in a weakened form, you are able to develop an ability to fight the disease without contracting it.

We at Reid Family & Specialty Care encourage you to become educated on the vaccines as well as the dangers of the disease each one protects against. Also, we challenge you to consider the ease of global travel and the prevalence of disease in foreign countries that may easily be carried into our neighborhoods or our loved ones may travel to endemic regions and be exposed. There is increased importance for vaccination in our era.