What is Immunisation

What is Immunisation?

Immunisation refers to the process of administering a vaccine to a person in order to protect them from disease. Immunisation that one receives from vaccination is very similar to the immunity that one receives from disease; the only difference is that vaccination involves receiving a vaccine rather than the disease. Because of this, vaccines are extremely useful forms of medical treatment. The vast majority of vaccines are administered using a needle (injection), but certain vaccines can also be taken by mouth (orally) or sprayed into the nasal passages (nasally). Needles, shots, jabs and vaccinations are all different names for the same thing: immunizations.

Protection Against Disease Resulting from Vaccination

Immunization, also known as vaccination, protects individuals from becoming ill by administering to them a vaccine that stimulates their immune system to respond in a manner consistent with that of someone who has already been infected with a disease. The vaccine contains the same antigens or parts of antigens that cause the disease; however, the antigens contained in the vaccine have been inactivated or are significantly less potent than the antigens that are responsible for the disease. Vaccines are effective because they deceive the body into thinking it is under attack by the disease they are intended to prevent.

Immunity through vaccination does not come from having the disease, nor does it come with the possibility of life-threatening complications from having the disease. When a person is immunised against a disease, their immune system produces specialised cells known as “memory cells,” which protect them from contracting the disease again even if they come into contact with it in the future. However, not every vaccine will provide you with lifelong immunity. Adults are required to get booster shots of vaccines like tetanus shot every ten years in order to maintain their immunity.