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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.

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.

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