Vaccination

Vaccination is the process of introducing a vaccine into the body to stimulate the immune system to develop protection against a specific infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. This exposure prompts the immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and remember it, thereby enhancing the body’s ability to fight off future infections from the disease. Vaccination is a key public health strategy to prevent the spread of contagious diseases and has contributed significantly to reducing morbidity and mortality rates associated with various illnesses worldwide. It can provide herd immunity, protecting even those who are not vaccinated by reducing the overall presence of the disease within a community. Vaccination programs are critical in controlling outbreaks and are often recommended during childhood, though adults may also require vaccines to maintain immunity throughout their lives.