The Purpose Of Vaccination: The Purpose Of Vaccines

Illness has been a major part of humankind’s lives almost since the beginning of time. Throughout history, illnesses caused fatal epidemics that caused deaths between young and old, and brought fear upon all for the absence of a cure. Having an illness throughout most of history was considered an inevitable death sentence, as the majority of causes of death (Offit). Vaccinations have been experimented in China and Turkey in the 15th century, with methods such as inhaling or rubbing grounded up smallpox scabs against open cuts (Clem). Then in 1700s, the first form of modern vaccination was invented by Edward Jenner with the cowpox virus acting against smallpox, giving immunity against it (Offit). In Cambridge University’s Dictionary, vaccines

The purpose of vaccinations is to help the immune system handle the illness without exposing to the illness first as “Vaccines contain the same antigens (or parts of antigens) that cause diseases…the antigens in vaccines are either killed, or weakened to the point that they don’t cause disease...immune system produce antibodies that lead to immunity”("Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important?") This means that Vaccines have the same pieces of a regular disease but has been manipulated in some shape or form that cannot infect the vaccine receiver. Almost as if the body is exposed to the illness already, but not quite like having the body fight off the disease but rather receive the ability to fight contact with any disease they are vaccinated against. Without vaccination, some illnesses can be fought off with the immune system alone, such as chicken pox and measles, and then would have the immune system protect by using the to fight against it. However, there are more fatal diseases, such as Polio, that has the ability to paralyze the body of anyone infected and even cause death if not treated right away