Yes, vaccines prevent disease by preparing your body to fight off specific infections.
Vaccines work by stimulating the body's immune system. According to available information, vaccines trigger protective immune responses so that if a person is infected with a pathogen, the immune system can quickly prevent the infection from spreading within the body and causing disease. This means vaccines don't completely prevent infection in all cases, but they significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and complications.
How Vaccines Work
Vaccines introduce a weakened or inactive form of a pathogen (virus or bacteria) into the body. This "teaches" the immune system to recognize and remember the pathogen so that it can mount a rapid and effective defense if the real pathogen ever invades.
Benefits of Vaccination
- Protection from serious illness: Vaccines greatly reduce the chance of getting seriously sick, needing hospitalization, or dying from vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Community protection (herd immunity): When a large portion of the population is vaccinated, it protects those who cannot be vaccinated (e.g., infants or individuals with certain health conditions) by reducing the spread of the disease.
- Eradication of diseases: Vaccines have led to the eradication of diseases like smallpox and have significantly reduced the incidence of other diseases like polio.
Common Misconceptions
Some people believe that vaccines cause autism or other health problems. However, these claims have been thoroughly debunked by scientific research. Vaccines are safe and effective, and the benefits far outweigh the risks.
