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Understanding Vaccines Based on Their Content

Vaccines are products that are given by injection, orally, or spray to produce immunity against certain diseases. However, many people do not understand what is actually contained in the vaccine. At the time of birth, the baby has immunity against certain germs through antibodies or immune substances obtained from the mother while the baby is still in the womb. Some time after birth, these immune substances will disappear naturally because the baby is not in the mother's womb. Therefore, to get protection against certain bacteria or viruses that can cause disease, vaccines need to be given. Vaccines are antigens that contain bacteria, poisons, or even viruses that cause "living" or deadly diseases. This life or death vaccine works to stimulate the human immune system, so the body thinks that it is being attacked by active germs. This process is then responded by the body to produce antibodies that are silent in the body and will protect the body in the future. This process of antibody formation is called immunization. The following are some types of vaccines based on the ingredients contained in them.

Dead vaccine

Dead vaccine or also called inactive vaccine contains viruses or bacteria that have been destroyed by heat, radiation, or chemicals, so that the dead or inactive. This process keeps the virus intact, but cannot reproduce and cause disease in the body. Rather it makes the body create an immune reaction. However, dead vaccines often require several doses to boost the immune system, because these dead vaccines generally produce a lower immune response than live vaccines. The polio vaccine, DPT, and flu vaccine are some examples of dead vaccines. This dead vaccine has the potential to cause a rash or fever after being injected, but this side effect is a normal and harmless situation. Because the immune effect produced by this vaccine is weaker, this type of vaccine often requires a dose of re-giving or booster.

Live Vaccine

Live vaccines are vaccines that are weakened in the laboratory, but not destroyed. Viruses or bacteria that are injected will not cause pain, but can proliferate to elicit an immune system response. This live vaccine provides stronger immunity and can provide lifelong protection even if only given once or twice. However, this vaccine cannot be given to those who experience immune system disorders, such as PLWHA or who are undergoing chemotherapy, because a weak immune system can actually be at risk of triggering a disease that they wish to prevent. Examples of live vaccines are the MMR vaccine, BCG, chicken pox, and the flu spray vaccine. Before being given, these vaccines need to be stored in a special refrigerator to keep them alive. This can be an obstacle if the vaccine will be sent or stored in areas with infrastructure that still has problems such as frequent blackouts. The temperature that is not suitable for vaccine storage will affect the quality of the vaccine so that the immunity that is formed is not optimal.

Toxoid vaccine

This vaccine is useful for producing immunity to ward off the adverse effects of poisons or toxins produced by certain bacteria. The experts found that poisons produced by certain bacteria when infecting a person can be neutralized with formalin or other chemicals. By producing toxic-like substances that have been specially processed, then this type of vaccine can be given to stimulate the body in forming the immune system to fight the adverse effects of toxins produced by germs. Examples of these toxoid vaccines include tetanus toxoid and diphtheria.

Biosynthetic Vaccine

This type of vaccine contains antigens that are produced specifically to resemble the structure of proteins from certain parts of the virus or bacteria to produce immunity. In infants, when this type of vaccine is given while the immune system is still developing, this vaccine can help the immune system recognize harmful bacteria or viruses that will enter the body later on. An example of this type of vaccine is the Hib vaccine. In order to be effective, vaccines need to contain other ingredients that are safe, durable, and at the same time bring benefits. These include thiomersal (mercury) which is a vaccine preservative, serum albumin, formalin, gelatin, and antibiotics. The main content of this vaccine consists of a launching agent to make the vaccine work more effectively, a stabilizer to keep the vaccine content unchanged when exposed to environmental factors such as temperature and light, and preservatives for a long shelf life. Not all ingredients that are written as vaccine ingredients are actually contained in it. Most of the material is only used in the production process, so it has been removed in the final result, for example gelatin. Many people doubt the benefits of vaccines because of fears of the adverse effects that can occur if someone is given the vaccine, as in some time ago where there was a concern that vaccination can cause undesirable side effects such as autism. From various studies found the fact that vaccines, especially MMR vaccines, are not related to autism. To prevent measles and rubella, the government is now supporting the MR vaccine program to replace the previous MMR vaccine. But if you already get the MMR vaccine, you don't need to worry, because both vaccines provide protection for the same disease. After conducting various studies, experts and health experts from various health institutes agreed that vaccines were safe and beneficial. Vaccination can provide protection against disease, so fatal complications and adverse effects from the disease can be prevented. The vaccine does have some side effects, such as swelling and redness of the skin at the injection site, fever, and the baby or child can become fussy after being given the vaccine. However, the various side effects of this vaccine will improve in a few days. Make sure you and your family get vaccines, especially mandatory vaccines recommended by the government, to avoid dangerous diseases. Because vaccines and immunizations are very effective in preventing many infectious and chronic diseases caused by infectious agents.

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