Vaccines: How they Work and Why Each Child should be Immunized

Running head: VACCINES AND HOW THEY WORK
Vaccines: How they Work and Why Each Child should be Immunized
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VACCINES: HOW THEY WORK AND WHY EACH CHILD SHOULD BE IMMUNIZED 1
Vaccines: How they Work and Why Each Child should be immunized
Introduction
Infectious diseases caused by viruses have posed threat to human health throughout
history. However, immunization against infectious diseases has been one of the significant
historical breakthroughs in human history. In spite of significant advantages attached to
vaccination and immunization against diseases, there are still misunderstandings surrounding the
use of vaccines. This paper discusses how vaccines work, the technology of their preparation,
and recommends why it is necessary to immunize children against infectious diseases.
How Vaccines Work
According to Cowan (2018), vaccines work by preparing the body’s immune system to
fight disease-causing pathogens. Once injected into the body, vaccines cause the body to
automatically respond by producing antibodies that fight the pathogens. Since vaccines are
manufactured from the disease-causing pathogens, the body will respond in the similar manner
when the disease-causing organisms enter it (Orenstein, & Ahmed, 2017). As a result,
vaccination prepares the body for future automatic response in case of attack by diseases.
Delany, Rappuoli, and de Gregorio (2014) further explains that vaccines work by preparing the
body for a stronger auto-response in case of attack by disease-causing antigens. The produced
antibodies stay in the body ready to defend it against any future attack from virus of the disease.
The produced antibodies do not have any adverse effects to the body because they are auto-
generated by the body as part of its defense mechanism. Once the body’s immune system has
been exposed to weakened antigens, it will automatically produce a stronger response in future
when it is attacked by disease causing antigens.
Traditional vs. Novel Methods of Manufacturing Vaccines

VACCINES: HOW THEY WORK AND WHY EACH CHILD SHOULD BE IMMUNIZED 2
Production of vaccines has occurred in stages ever since the first vaccine was developed
over two thousand years ago. According to Han (2015), the history of development of vaccines
has occurred in stages with the goal of improving outcomes after vaccination. The traditional
method of producing vaccines relied on the whole disease-causing pathogens that was
inactivated or killed before being injected into the body to trigger antibodies to fight it. The
original method of attenuation or inactivation of pathogens was efficient, but its major setback
was that it triggered unwanted responses from the body as explained by Rauch, Jasny, Schmidt,
and Petsch (2018). With the emergence of technological developments, there have been
improvements for vaccines in the twenty-first century.
Compared to attenuated or killed vaccines that were manufactured traditionally,
technology has helped in manufacturing more advanced and efficient vaccines to fight diseases.
According to Delany, Rappuoli, and Gregorio (2014), the new vaccines are made from living
pathogens and are inactivated before being injected in the body. Once they meet the antibodies in
the body, they reactivate automatically to cause the body to produce antibodies to fight them.
Technological advancements have also facilitated the preparation of vaccines from unrelated
viruses. This is different from traditional methods where it was mandatory for vaccines to be
prepared from the virus that causes the specific disease. Rauch, Jasny, Schmidt, and Petsch
(2018) discuss recent technological advancements for vaccines for the twenty-first century. For
instance, the technology of viral vector based vaccines uses unrelated modified viruses to trigger
immune response similar to the one that could be produced if the pathogens causing the disease
were used. This minimizes unwanted responses from the body, hence improving the quality of
vaccines delivered to the body.