Follow Healthline   |   Healthline on TwitterTwitter   |   Healthline on FacebookFacebook
Symptom Search   |   Treatment Search   |   Doctor Search   |   Drug Search
Advertisement

Immunizations Health Channel

Feature Article

Illustrations for this article

Click on an image below to enlarge

Hepatitis A immunization (vaccine)

Immunizations

Immunizations - general overview

Definition

Immunization (vaccination) is a way to trigger your immune system and prevent serious, life-threatening diseases.

Alternative Names

Vaccinations

Information

Our bodies are designed to protect us from infections. When you are exposed to a virus or bacteria, your immune system actually learns from the experience. The next time your body is exposed to the same infection, your immune system often recognizes it and sets out to destroy it.

Immunization exposes you to a very small, very safe amount of the most important infections. This exposure helps your immune system recognize and attack the infection and prevent the disease it may cause. If you are exposed to the full-blown disease later in life, you will either not become infected or have a much milder infection. This is a natural way to deal with infectious diseases.

After immunizations were introduced on a wide scale, infections such as tetanus, diphtheria, mumps, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and polio became rare. Newer immunization have also decreased certain types of meningitis, pneumonia, and ear infections in children.

Four different types of vaccines are currently available.

  • Attenuated (weakened) live virus is used in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine. These vaccines may cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems.
  • Killed (inactivated) viruses or bacteria are used in some vaccines, such as the influenza vaccine. These vaccines are safe, even in people with weakened immune systems.

Continue reading this article

More Articles

Poliomyelitis (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Poliomyelitis is a viral disease that can affect nerves and lead to paralysis.Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. The virus spreads by direct person-to-person contact, by contact with infected mucus or phlegm from t...Reviewer: Kenneth M. Wener, MD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 01/22/2008
Email  |  Save

Diphtheria (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae.Diphtheria spreads through respiratory droplets(such as those produced by a cough or sneeze) of an infected person or someone who carries the bacteria but...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/17/2008
Email  |  Save

Tetanus (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Tetanus is a potentially deadly nervous system disease due to the bacteria Clostridium tetani(C. tetani).Spores of the bacteria C. tetani live in the soil and are found around the world. In the spore form, C. tetani may remain inactive in the soil...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/17/2008
Email  |  Save

Mumps (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Mumps is a contagious disease that leads to painful swelling of the salivary glands. The salivary glands produce saliva, a liquid that moistens food and helps you chew and swallow.Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/15/2008
Email  |  Save

Use Healthline to search the web for more Immunizations information.

Health Videos

Experts Say More Medical Participants Are Needed
Experts say millions more people are needed to participate in clinical trials. They say a shift in public thinking could help get the involvement needed to...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video

A New Vaccine Protects Women from HPV
A new vaccine protects women from the Human Papillomavirus.
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video

Swine Flu Update: the Danger May Not Be Over
As federal officers are bracing for a fall surge of swine flu, NBC's Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell reports if this means that everyone will be ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video

Health Experts, Healthline's Network of Health Experts

Essential Vaccinations for Children in Medicine for the Outdoors - 3 years 22 days ago
Much is written in the wilderness medicine literature about vaccinations(shots given to boost the immune system in order to prevent disease) for travelers.... Email  |  Save
CDC Encourages Late-Season Flu Vaccinations in Healthline Connects - 3 years 13 days ago
U.S. health authorities are preparing for a post-Thanksgiving flu shot push, at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control. Despite a record 110... Email  |  Save
Sanofi-Aventis Flu Vaccine Not Suspected in Deaths of 4 Israelis, Israel Resume... in Tech Medicine - 3 years 35 days ago
Deputy Director-General of the Center for Disease Control(CDC) Chou Chih-hao() said yesterday that no more flu vaccines from the French firm Sanofi-Aventis... Email  |  Save

Current News

Infections Hepatitis C Therapy Area Pipeline Report - new report released
PR-inside.com | 16 hours ago
This report provides insight into the pipeline status of hepatitis c drugs by company and by stage as well as a summary of the latest news and developments in this area.

Metobolomics Uncovers Key Indicators Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Medical News Today | 18 hours ago
Main Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Article Date: 26 Nov 2009 - 1:00 PST A recent metobolomics study by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond found that impaired peroxisomal oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with the progression of ...

Medical Students Regularly Stuck By Needles, Often Fail To Report Injuries
MediLexicon | 1 day ago
Medical students are commonly stuck by needles - putting them at risk of contracting potentially dangerous blood-borne diseases - and many of them fail to report the injuries to hospital authorities, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the December issue of the journal Academic Medicine.

Show all News

Create News Alert