Imagine there was a simple treatment that could be given to babies and toddlers that was not only remarkably e”ective in preventing illness, but also inexpensive. And imagine that this treatment was not only inexpensive but also lowered overall health care costs. There’s no need to imagine; the treatment exists. It’s called a vaccine.
One of the ways vaccination protects us is by ensuring we don’t get sick. But they also help keep others who can’t be vaccinated safely.
Not just children, but adults also need vaccines. Age alone increases the risk of potentially serious infections for more than because the body’s immune system naturally weakens with age. Vaccines work by teaching the body’s immune system to recognize and defend against harmful viruses or bacteria before getting an infection and reduce the chance of getting certain infectious diseases.
How does body immunity work?
Your body builds a defense system to ?ght foreign germs that could make you sick or hurt you. It’s called your immune system. To build up your immune system, your body must be exposed to di”erent germs. When your body is exposed to a germ for the ?rst time, it produces antibodies to ?ght it. But that takes time and you usually get sick before the antibodies have built up. But once you have antibodies, they stay in your body. So the next time you’re exposed to that germ, the antibodies will attack it, and you won’t get sick.
How will a vaccine prevent COVID-19?
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has spikes of protein on each viral particle. These spikes help the viruses attach to cells and cause disease. Some of the coronavirus vaccines in development are designed to help the body “recognize” these spike proteins and ?ght the coronavirus that has them.
An e”ective vaccine will protect someone who receives it by lowering the chance of getting COVID-19 if the person encounters the coronavirus. More important is whether the vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalization, and death. At this time, all three vaccines are highly efficacious at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Widespread vaccination means the coronavirus will not infect as many people. This will limit spread through communities and will restrict the virus’s opportunity to continue to mutate into new variants.
Questions to ask your doctor before taking a vaccine –
- When, where, and how can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
- What side e”ects should we anticipate with the COVID-19 vaccine?
- I already had COVID-19. Should I get the vaccine? Should I wait to get it?
- COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time. Are they safe?
- What can I do to minimize vaccine after-e”ects?
Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions. This Vaccination day, let’s pledge to make India Covid free. Are you game?
