Class 9 Biology: How Immunization Works And Why Vaccination Is A Must
We have all heard the saying, “prevention is better than cure”. It refers to the difference between vaccines and medicines. While medicines cure infections, vaccines prevent them.
Vaccination is the most cost-effective way to protect against infectious conditions. It has greatly reduced the incidence of many diseases. In some cases, vaccines have successfully eradicated diseases such as polio, smallpox which were once a threat to mankind.
The word vaccine is derived from the Latin word “vacca” meaning cow. This was used by Edward Jenner as the first vaccine developed was against the cowpox virus.
In simple language, a vaccine is any substance that is introduced into the body to prevent the disease produced by pathogens. The act of introducing vaccines is “vaccination”. After vaccination, the body gets ready to fight against infections and this is “immunization”.
Types Of Vaccines
When antigens enter our body, they trigger the formation of “antibodies”. An Antigen is an antibody generating agent. Thus vaccines work in a similar way. Vaccines are administered into our body to trigger antibody formation. Only pathogens are capable of this and vaccines, too, are actually pathogens too but either dead or weakened, that is, “attenuated”.
Thus, we can say that vaccination “programmes” the immune system to remember a particular pathogen and this is termed as “primary response”.
In traditional vaccines, the entire pathogen – dead or weakened – is inserted into the body. Newer vaccines are prepared using a different technique. The newer vaccines are DNA Vaccines.
A DNA vaccine transfects a specific antigen-coding DNA sequence into the cells of an organism as a mechanism to induce an immune response.
Thus vaccination saves lives and is necessary to survive serious infection.
The only way this COVID-19 pandemic will be over is through ample precaution and vaccination.So do not miss your jab. Save yourself and also people around you.
Articles
Upcoming Medicine Exams
Counselling Date:21 November,2024 - 27 November,2024
Counselling Date:25 November,2024 - 25 November,2024
Top Ranked Medicine and Allied Sciences Colleges
Browse Medicine Colleges by State
Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Orthotist and Prosthetist
Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.
Pathologist
A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.
Veterinary Doctor
A veterinary doctor is a professional, working in animal healthcare. He or she conducts medical examinations, diagnoses, and treats various illnesses of animals. Animals have distinct internal organs and functions, requiring specialised attention from a veterinary doctor. A doctor who treats humans cannot offer the same level of care to animals due to these variations. Therefore, a veterinary doctor plays a critical role in animal welfare.
Veterinary professionals prevent illness by providing vaccines and offering advice on animal nutrition and overall health. Their knowledge extends beyond household animals and includes livestock, wildlife, and exotic animals. Individuals who love animals and want to treat their illnesses, injuries, and diseases must opt for a career as a veterinary doctor.
Speech Therapist
Speech therapists are essential medical professionals addressing speech disorders. Whether it's delayed speech in children or difficulties in pronunciation, these experts play a crucial role. This article explores how to become a speech therapist in India, covering courses, colleges, and the responsibilities of this impactful profession.
Gynaecologist
Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.
Audiologist
The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.
Oncologist
An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.
Anatomist
Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.
Narcotics Officer
A Narcotics Officer is an officer employed by the state to investigate the usage of drugs and their trafficking. A narcotics officer conducts undercover operations, investigates suspected drug dealers, executes raids and other appropriate actions for arresting these traffickers to reduce the circulation of drugs in the country.
A narcotics officer works in collaboration with other government agencies to stop drug trafficking at borders. He or she engages with various NGOs and public organisations to teach people about the dangerous effects of drug usage. A narcotics officer plays an important role in reducing the illegal activities of drug dealers and the circulation of drugs in the nation.
Research Associate
If we talk about a career as a research associate, it all comes down to one thing - curiosity towards nature and the passion to find answers. A career as a research associate is full of thrill and excitement. However, a research associate also faces a lot of challenges and failures while working on a project. A job of a research associate includes a spectrum of Science as a subject in detail.
Drug Inspector
A career as a Drug Inspector is regarded as one of the most diverse in the field of healthcare and pharmacy. Candidates must undergo a screening process administered by the UPSC and or SPSCs in order to become drug inspectors. Those who manage it through the selection process will have a rewarding career with a high salary.
Biotechnologist
A Biotechnologist is a professional who possesses strong knowledge and techniques that are utilised in creating and developing innovative products that improve the quality of human life standards. A biochemist uses biological organisms to create and improve goods and procedures for agriculture, medicine, and sustainability. He or she researches the genetic, chemical, and physical characteristics of cells, tissues, and organisms to determine how they can be used industrially.
R&D Personnel
A career as R&D Personnel requires researching, planning, and implementing new programs and protocols into their organization and overseeing new products’ development. He or she uses his or her creative abilities to improve the existing products as per the requirements of the target market.