Over history, vaccines have benefited disease control, but there has been much speculation as to whether vaccines are better than natural immunity. These benefits and speculations concern how vaccines work, which has evolved into how vaccines benefit the health of individuals, which suggests that they are better than natural immunity. Vaccines work with our immune system to build the body’s resistance to infection. Vaccines benefit the health of individuals by providing immunity without the risks of infection. Despite the many risks that come with vaccines, the benefits of vaccines still outweigh the risks that come with natural immunity.
Many people do not understand the science behind the immune system and vaccines; furthermore, they do not …show more content…
The immune system’s memory remembers which antibodies to produce to neutralize the pathogen, so the body is able to fight the pathogen more efficiently the next time it is exposed to a stronger strain of that pathogen. Furthermore, the National Cancer Institute explains that B-cells are “a type of white blood cell that makes antibodies. B-cells are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow”. Without B-cells, the body would not be able to fight infections. The B-cells are a necessary part of the body’s immune system because they produce special antibodies designed to fight a particular pathogen. Particularly, the way the body’s B-cells fight off infection is by producing “chemical antibody substances that can kill or disable … [pathogens]” (Donnellan 53). These chemical antibodies are specific to each pathogen the body encounters, which means that there is only one vaccine per pathogen. Without vaccines, the immune system would take longer to produce the correct disease-fighting antibody, and the longer it takes the body to produce the correct antibody, the risk of complications increases. Finally, after the body has been exposed to the pathogen, …show more content…
First, the CDC inform the public of “the [most common and minor] side effects [of] vaccines… such as redness and swelling where the shot was given or a low-grade fever… [but they] go away on their own within a few days” (“Adverse Event”). The most common side effects are minor and pose no serious threat to the recipient of the vaccine. Despite the advantages of vaccines there are possible negative side effects. In addition to the risk of minor side effects, there are rare and serious side effects such as anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction, can occur after vaccination, but these are very rare (CDC). Anaphylaxis is fatal if left untreated, but an injection of epinephrine will quickly reverse the effects. The CDC informs the public of these possible rare reactions, but it also states such severe reactions are very rare. Finally, even though life-threatening side effects are rare, there are possible fatal side effects such as encephalitis, inflammation of the brain can occur from adverse reactions to vaccines. Since 1988, there has been 17,844 vaccine-related injuries and 1,254 vaccine-related deaths in the United States (Health Resources and Services Administration 1; Health Resources and Services Administration 5). Over the span of thirty years, there have been 19,098 complications from vaccines but in comparison to the 145,375,000 people in the United States, who have been successfully
Many people do not understand the science behind the immune system and vaccines; furthermore, they do not …show more content…
The immune system’s memory remembers which antibodies to produce to neutralize the pathogen, so the body is able to fight the pathogen more efficiently the next time it is exposed to a stronger strain of that pathogen. Furthermore, the National Cancer Institute explains that B-cells are “a type of white blood cell that makes antibodies. B-cells are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow”. Without B-cells, the body would not be able to fight infections. The B-cells are a necessary part of the body’s immune system because they produce special antibodies designed to fight a particular pathogen. Particularly, the way the body’s B-cells fight off infection is by producing “chemical antibody substances that can kill or disable … [pathogens]” (Donnellan 53). These chemical antibodies are specific to each pathogen the body encounters, which means that there is only one vaccine per pathogen. Without vaccines, the immune system would take longer to produce the correct disease-fighting antibody, and the longer it takes the body to produce the correct antibody, the risk of complications increases. Finally, after the body has been exposed to the pathogen, …show more content…
First, the CDC inform the public of “the [most common and minor] side effects [of] vaccines… such as redness and swelling where the shot was given or a low-grade fever… [but they] go away on their own within a few days” (“Adverse Event”). The most common side effects are minor and pose no serious threat to the recipient of the vaccine. Despite the advantages of vaccines there are possible negative side effects. In addition to the risk of minor side effects, there are rare and serious side effects such as anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction, can occur after vaccination, but these are very rare (CDC). Anaphylaxis is fatal if left untreated, but an injection of epinephrine will quickly reverse the effects. The CDC informs the public of these possible rare reactions, but it also states such severe reactions are very rare. Finally, even though life-threatening side effects are rare, there are possible fatal side effects such as encephalitis, inflammation of the brain can occur from adverse reactions to vaccines. Since 1988, there has been 17,844 vaccine-related injuries and 1,254 vaccine-related deaths in the United States (Health Resources and Services Administration 1; Health Resources and Services Administration 5). Over the span of thirty years, there have been 19,098 complications from vaccines but in comparison to the 145,375,000 people in the United States, who have been successfully