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Immunizations Health Channel

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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.

See also: Babies and shots

Alternative Names

Vaccinations; Immunizations - safety; How immunizations work

Information

HOW IMMUNIZATIONS WORK

When germs such as viruses or bacteria invade your body, your immune system makes special cells. These cells produce antibodies, which help destroy these germs. If all goes well, you get better. The next time your body is exposed to the same infection, your immune system often recognizes it and sets out to destroy it.

Immunizations work in much the same way. They expose you to a very small, very safe amount of a virus or bacteria that has been weakened or killed. Your immune system then learns to recognize and attack the infection if you are exposed to it later in life. As a result, you will either not become ill or have a milder infection. This is a natural way to deal with infectious diseases.

Newborns, babies, and toddlers are constantly being exposed to germs from: their parents and other adults, brothers and sisters, people in stores, and other children in child care. With travel easier than ever, you and your baby can be exposed to diseases from other countries without you knowing.

For a few weeks after they are born, babies will have some protection from their mother because some antibodies are passed from the mother to the baby through the placenta before birth. After this short period of time, these infections can cause severe illnesses in children and adults.

After immunizations were introduced on a wide scale, infections such as tetanus, diphtheria, mumps, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and polio became rare.

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Use Healthline to search the web for more Immunizations information.

Health Videos


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