Happy National Immunization Awareness Month. Vaccines prevent diseases that can be dangerous and even deadly. Vaccines are your best shot to reduce your risk of infection by working with your body’s natural defenses to help you safely develop immunity to disease. When germs invade your body, they multiply and attack causing your illness. The immune system fights the infection and after, the body has a supply of cells that help recognize and fight that disease in the future. Vaccines are a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. Many times, a vaccine contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microogranism, and is often made from weakened or killed form of the disease. The vaccine allows the body’s immune system to recognize the agent so in the future it knows it is foreign and that it should destroy it to keep you from getting sick.
So far, vaccines have almost totally eliminated these infectious diseases in the United States. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of children under the age of 5 dying each year declined over 12 million to 5.9 million, partly due to the impact of vaccination campaigns.
See below the list of diseases that have almost been totally eliminated in the United States.
- Diphtheria
- H. Influenza
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatits B
- Measels
- Mumps
- Pertussis
- Pneumococcal Disease
- Congenital Rubella
- Rubella
- Polio
- Small Pox
- Tetanus
- Varicella
Since viruses are constantly mutating, vaccine development is an important tool in protecting against new strains. Hence the importance of vaccine research studies and development. It can take upwards of 20 years to develop a new vaccine, and we need your help today! Join a clinical study at Rochester Clinical Research to help the search of new vaccines to prevent disease. Research also can show how to be better administer and develop a vaccination that is stronger or can have better protection against a particular disease or illness. RCR is currently enrolling for studies involving RSV Vaccine, Flu Vaccine and Pneumococcal Disease Vaccine and more. Call 585-288-0890 to see if you qualify.
Watch the below videos from the CDC and Department of Health & Human Services that talk about how vaccines are your best shot to be protected against these diseases.
Pneumococcal Vaccines
Shingles Vaccine
Whopping Cough Vaccines
