Immunization, Processes involved in immunization and its importance

What is Immunization?

If you take a look at the upper part of your left arm, you may likely see a tiny depressed spot. This is a sign that you are immunized.

Before I define immunization, I think it's a good idea if we understood it's concept. Below is a brief analogy:

When a baby is born, he or she must live in an environment.

For now, think of your environment as everything that surrounds you. It includes the air, your clothes, the food you eat and so on.

Please read on the Introduction to Biology and the Basic Characteristics of Life here.

Note: Always understand that the air, water and land that make up your environment contains billions of pathogens or germs.

Pathogens are organisms that cause diseases. (Disease causing organisms).

Please read on Vectors and Disease causing organisms here.

Based on the fact that a variety of micro-organisms constitute a part of our environment, certain molecules or pathogens or germs may find their way into the baby's system (whom is yet to be immunized).

The "unimmunized" baby's immune system has no knowledge of the pathogens that gained entry into the baby; hence these pathogens are termed foreign bodies or non-self with regards to the baby's system.

The baby's immune system will react very slowly while attempting to fight back. The slow response from the immune system arises because the baby's defence system (antibodies) have got no memory of these foreign bodies.

Please read on Micro-organisms that causes Food, Water and Air Borne Diseases here.

Foreign bodies are also referred to as antigens.

The terms "foreign body, pathogens, germs and antigens" will be used interchangeable in this article because they all refer to something similar: "causative agent for diseases".

The above scenerio can be detrimental to the baby's health; but the good news is:

Immunization gives a prior knowledge to the immune system on the specific antigens that may gain entry into the baby's system.

In short, the baby's immune system is now prepared for whatever foreign body (antigen) that may find it's way into him or her; as far as he/she is immunized from the diseases caused by the antigen.

Please read on Homeostasis and Negative Feedback Mechanism here.

In reality, after a baby is born, he or must be immunized against the specific antigen(s) and their consequent diseases.

Immunization is the process of introducing weakened or dead forms of disease causing organisms (pathogens or germs) into a person in order to prevent such person from the diseases they cause.

These weakened or dead forms of disease causing organisms administered to the baby is termed vaccine. For this reason, immunization is also referred to as vaccination

Most vaccines are given by injection (via a needle), while others may be given orally (via the mouth) or nasally (via the nose).

Note: Immunization is also called vaccination, shots, jabs or needles

Please read on Protists and their Characteristics here.

How Immunization Work

With regards to the fact that vaccines contain the exact same pathogens or germs that cause diseases (but in a weakened or dead form), the vaccine becomes harmless and do not make the child sick.

The importance of the infused vaccine is based on the fact that it triggers the production of antibodies.

Antibodies are responsible for fighting and killing the already weakened or dead pathogens contained in the vaccine during immunization or vaccination.

The generation of the specific antibodies for the pathogen or antigen (present in vaccine) will serve as an indication to preparedness; in case the same exact pathogen/antigen/germs find their way into the baby again.

Note: These antibodies keep the memory of how they rapidly killed such pathogens when they first entered the baby's system in their weakened/dead forms (during vaccination/immunization).

Now, let's imagine that after vaccination, the "real" pathogen (capable of causing disease) enters the child's body. At this point, the child will be on the safer side now because:

• Antibodies required to fight and kill these germs/pathogens are already present in the child's system.
• These antibodies can now easily kill the pathogens/germs because the have a memory of previously killing the exact pathogen/germ.

Please read on the Male Reproductive System here.

Importance of Immunization

Both children and adults need immunization. We already know that it is wiser, easier, better and cheaper to prevent a disease than to cure it. This is exactly what immunization does.

Immunization develops the immune system and makes us resistant or immune to certain infectious diseases such as:

• Measles

• Pertussis (whopping cough)

• Mumps

• Rubella

• Polio

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

• Chicken pox

• Smallpox

• Diphtheria

• Tetanus

• Rotavirus

• Yellow Fever

• Tuberculosis

• Hepatitis B