The arrival of a child in the world is a huge change for new parents. From now on, their lives will revolve around their little human being. And decisions about how to feed, treat and prevent illness will become paramount.
A newborn baby comes into the world armed with so-called primary immunity, which is provided by antibodies received from the mother. They protect it from infections for the first three months of life. Later, after losing this protective umbrella, the tiny organism has to defend itself against viruses and bacteria, although its immune system is still not developed enough to do so effectively. The building up of secondary immunity, which will facilitate the fight against pathogenic microorganisms for the rest of life, can be accelerated by giving the toddler vaccines (source: www.cmzdrowedziecko.com.pl/o-szczepieniach-dla-dzieci-szczepic-czy-nie-szczepic/).
What do vaccines contain?
Vaccines contain either live or dead pathogenic viruses and bacteria (known as antigens). The live micro-organisms administered in biopreparations are suitably attenuated so that they are not dangerous and do not cause disease. The paediatrician decides in each case whether a child can be vaccinated. Some babies may experience post-vaccination reactions - swelling, redness, raised temperature. These are not dangerous and disappear after two or three days. Only in rare cases are serious vaccination reactions possible. In such cases, the doctor may decide to discontinue vaccination.
How do vaccines work?
When a child receives a vaccine in the form of viruses and bacteria, his or her immune system reacts by producing antibodies and fighting off pathogenic organisms. In this way, the body learns to recognise them so that the next time it encounters germs, it can proceed to combat them immediately. The antibodies remain in the body for a long time, but this does not always guarantee lifelong immunity. This is why some vaccinations need to be repeated. This protects not only vaccinated children, but also those who, for various reasons, cannot be given the preparations.
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Thanks to vaccinations, some diseases have completely disappeared in the last few decades (e.g. smallpox), while the incidence of other diseases, such as measles or rubella, has decreased significantly, and epidemiologists forecast that they may also be eliminated at some point in the future (source: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/2/07-040089/en/).
