QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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 Friday, January 7, 2022 - 09:49

Are vaccines safe?

Vaccines help the body to recognise and fight viruses or bacteria by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies to a specific disease. The term ‘vaccination‘ refers to the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
Immunisation is a term used to define the process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination (this term is often used interchangeably with vaccination/ inoculation). Protection from an infectious disease gives you immunity (if you are immune to a disease, you can be exposed to it without becoming infected).


Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases.
Vaccination coverage is the best indicator of the level of protection a population will have against vaccine-preventable communicable diseases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that on a national basis at least 95% of children are immunised against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD).
They prevent up to 3 million deaths worldwide every year. Since the introduction of vaccines many infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people have been eradicated or are seen very rarely. However, if people stop having vaccines, these infectious diseases can make a come-back and quickly spread again.

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07-01-22 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR