DF4-Discussion Forum 4: Vaccines

Vaccines

For some bacteria/viruses that are pathogenic, we’ve been able to develop vaccines that provide us protection from their infection. The common bacterial vaccines are those that protect against meningitis or the toxin that causes tetanus which is produced by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Vaccines contain dead or attenuated (lacking some crucial ability, like reproducing) microbes that provide a chance for our immune system to interact with the microbe (either a virus or a bacteria) without the risk of becoming infected. After our immune system gets a chance to interact with the contents of a vaccine, we create memory cells, specialized immune cells that retain the specific information for what that microbe looked like and how to produce antibodies to fight it, in case it’s ever seen again. These memory cells are, basically, the reason why we generally won’t be infected by the same pathogen twice. This is a shortened version of how vaccines work, however. This article provides more detail on how vaccines work (Links to an external site.). Or, watch this video. (Links to an external site.)

Let’s be clear, here, though. (Links to an external site.) Vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines have not been associated with any sort of developmental disorders. Spreading out vaccines is not safer for the child or the community. Vaccines save lives by creating herd immunity.

Prompt

Part 1: Some parents and health care professionals question the CDC’s recommendations and decide not to vaccinate their children, while others, choose to vaccinate their children along an alternative schedule. How might these decisions to not vaccinate or delay vaccination affect both one’s own children and others?

Part 2: For some diseases, like influenza (a virus), yearly vaccines are necessary. In your post, explain why some diseases require yearly vaccines to maintain immunity. Post links to articles or media that helped you develop your explanation.