why should you get vaccinated and vaccination for adults

1. reasons to get vaccinated

Serious diseases that pose significant risks to your health can be prevented easily by vaccines.
• If you have a weakened immune system or a chronic health condition, you are at increased risk for complications arising from certain diseases.
• The chances that you will pass on a serious disease to your loved ones are significantly decreased.
• By getting yourself vaccinated you can help protect those who are not vaccinated. Some people might not be able to get themselves vaccinated. Certain vaccines are based on health conditions, age, or other factors. Vaccines can help to stop the spread of contagious diseases to people who are not vaccinated.
• Vaccines help you save the additional medical costs incurred when you are infected by a vaccine preventable disease.
• It is important to stay ahead on your immunizations as no one can predict when a disease will infect you.
• There are over a dozen diseases that you can prevent by simply getting vaccinated.

2. how vaccines help to prevent diseases

There are certain dangerous or even deadly diseases that vaccines can prevent. Vaccines help reduce the risks of infection by working alongside the body’s natural defences and helping it to safely develop immunity against diseases.

When bacteria and viruses invade the human body, they attack and multiply rapidly. This invasion, called an infection, leads to illness. The immune system has to fight this infection. Once it gets rid of the infection, the body has an adequate supply of cells that help in recognizing and fighting that disease should it recur in the future.

While vaccines help to develop immunity by imitating an infection, this phoney infection does not cause any illness. It leads the immune system to develop a similar response to a real infection so that the body can identify and combat the vaccine-preventable disease should it occur in the future.

Sometimes, post vaccine, the imitation infection causes minor symptoms, such as rashes and fever. Such minor symptoms should be expected and are normal as the body builds up its immunity.

The things that make up the vaccine

The main ingredient of a vaccine is antigens, which help the body in developing immunity. Small amounts of other ingredients are also present in vaccines – all of which are necessary for either creating the vaccine or in making sure that the vaccine is effective and safe.

Some of the different ingredients that constitute a vaccine include:

• Adjuvants like Aluminium salts
• Stabilizers like Sugars and Gelatin
• Residual cell culture material, including egg protein
• Residual inactivating ingredients like Formaldehyde
• Residual antibiotics like Neomycin

Vaccine preventable diseases:

Defending against Diphtheria

• Diphtheria is serious bacteria caused disease. The actual disease occurs when the bacteria releases a toxin or poison inside a person’s body.
• Diphtheria bacteria reside in the throat, nose, and mouth of an infected person and can be transmitted to others through sneezing or coughing.
• Diphtheria can cause severe heart problems, breathing problems, and paralysis. Around 5% to 10% of people infected with diphtheria die.
• Vaccination is the most effective way to be protected from this dangerous disease.

3. not influenced by influenza

• Influenza is a serious virus caused disease and is very contagious. Fever, shaking chills, body aches, cough, and feeling extremely weak are common symptoms.
• Influenza is very dangerous for people who have health conditions such as heart and lung disease, pregnant women, and the very young and very old. But even young and healthy people can get seriously sick due to influenza.
• Vaccination is the most effective way to be protected from this dangerous disease.

4. don’t mess with measles

• Measles is a respiratory disease that is caused by a highly contagious virus.
• Measles lead to persistent fevers, rashes lasting close to a week, and coughing fits that can last nearly ten days. Measles also causes seizures, brain damage, pneumonia, or death.
• Vaccination is the most effective way to be protected from this dangerous disease.

5. managing against mumps

• Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by the mumps virus.
• The mumps virus causes headaches, fever, painful swelling in the salivary glands located under the jaw, muscle aches, fever, loss of appetite, and tiredness.
• Vaccination is the most effective way to be protected from this dangerous disease.

6. tackling tetanus

• Tetanus is a grave bacterial disease that results in the painful tightening of muscles. You can get infected by a cut or wound, even by something as minor as a needle prick.
• The Tetanus causing bacteria release a toxin/poison in the body that leads to painful spasms and stiffness of muscles all over the body. Around three out of ten people who get infected by tetanus die due to the disease.
• Vaccination is the most effective way to be protected from this dangerous disease.

The need to immunize yourself does not end with you becoming an adult. Immunity gained from childhood vaccinations might wear off over time, and you might be faced with the risk of a new and different disease.

Over the years, vaccines and their recommendations might change, and certain vaccines might not have been available back then when you were a child. It is also extremely important to make sure that your adult immunizations are fully up-to-date if you are expecting or planning to get pregnant. The safety of the child depends a lot on these vaccines.

If you have queries pertaining to vaccination or any health concerns, get in touch with PORTEA today. Download our mobile app, and get all your queries answered.

about author

Dr Rahul Dubey

Dr Rahul has Masters in Maxillofacial Surgery with an overall experience of six years. Since the last 2 years, he is working in the Medical operations team of Portea. An Alumni of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Science, he has previously worked with Nationwide- The Family Doctors while as their Chief Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon and Implantologist. He has a special interest in Facial Trauma Surgery, Dental Implantology and Facial aesthetic surgery. It is not only medicine that fascinates Rahul. He is a die-hard sports enthusiast with a strong passion for Football, Basketball, and Cricket and occasionally strums the guitar, too.