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| |    How Vaccines Work by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Adapted from: National Network for Immunization Information ) Copyright 2000, and the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A vaccine works by stimulating your body to create an immune response that will protect you the next time your body meets up with the germ contained in the vaccine. This response usually is very similar to the one you would have if you were naturally infected by that particular germ. The most important advantage of developing immunity by being immunized instead of having the natural infection is that you don't have to suffer through the disease. This advantage is particularly important in infants and young children because they are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying from the diseases prevented by routine childhood immunizations. How your immune system responds to natural infections In a routine day, the body is bombarded with many types of bacteria, viruses, and other germs (or organisms). When you are infected with a disease-causing germ, your immune system mounts a defense against it. In the process, you produce protective immune factors such as antibodies against that specific germ. These immune factors are capable of eliminating the germ from your body. Once you have developed immunity, the next time you encounter the germ, your immune system quickly recognizes it and eliminates it before you become sick. A good is example of how the immune system protects you is in the case of chickenpox. Usually you only get chickenpox once because, if you are exposed again, your immune system will remember the chickenpox virus and protect you by destroying it before it can make you sick. The reason you get colds and flu over and over again is that there are many, many variations of these viruses, so no matter how many times you become infected, there are other cold and flu viruses your immune system will not recognize. This is the reason a new flu vaccine is created each year--to help protect against the types of flu virus most likely to be circulating throughout the world that season. How vaccines help prevent infections Vaccines contain either an inactivated germ (known as a killed vaccine), a weakened form of the live germ (known as a live attenuated vaccine), or parts of the germ (known as a component vaccine). See Types of Vaccines. Your immune system recognizes the dead or harmless germ, or its parts, and responds by creating protective immune factors, just as it would if you had a natural infection. However, since the vaccine does not contain the germ in a form that can cause disease, it can stimulate your immunity without your getting ill. Just as with a natural infection, when you are exposed to this germ in the future, your immune system will remember it and effectively kill or neutralize it before it can make you sick. Why several doses of vaccine may be recommended It is important for you to know that several doses of vaccine are usually needed to create the immunity that results from one natural infection. That is why you should make sure that your child receives all of his recommended doses of vaccine. In instances where the full number of doses have not been given, a child's immune system may not be sufficiently prepared to fight against the infection.
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