Vaccines

Vaccines are the safest and most effective way to prevent disease. They significantly reduce risk by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds and helps build protection. In some cases, the protection can last a lifetime from a series of vaccine doses. In others, such as tetanus or the flu, booster doses are needed every few years to keep you healthy.

Aarathi Nagaraja, MD, CPH, Medical Director of HIV & Hepatitis Programs, Sun River Health
Photo Credit: *Sun River Health*

by Aarathi Nagaraja, MD, CPH, Medical Director of HIV & Hepatitis Programs

Content Partner: Sun River Health

So, let’s talk about why it’s important for you and your family to stay up to date with your vaccines!

How do vaccines work?

Infections are caused by a disease-causing organism in your body. Vaccines mimic this organism and encourage your immune system to produce antibodies against them. So, when your body meets a disease-causing organism in the future, it’s prepared to prevent the disease from occurring. The memory response from the vaccine can protect your body when natural infection occurs.

In addition to immunity and memory antibodies, vaccines also provide an “cocooning effect”. This means that immunizing helps forms a shield to protect vulnerable individuals who aren’t able to receive vaccines and the community at large by stopping the transmission of the infections that spread from person to person.

How do we know a vaccine is safe?

Every vaccine undergoes extensive testing in labs and clinical trials before they are approved. Millions of people safely receive vaccines every year. There are very few side effects, and the most common are mild, such as slight pain or swelling at the injection site. If there are other concerns from the vaccine, you should always talk with your doctor about them.

What are some reasons I should have my child vaccinated?

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to keep your child healthy. Vaccination is the one of the best ways to do that. Here are a few reasons why you should have your child vaccinated:

Vaccines have helped decrease infections from organism causing measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, whooping cough, paralytic polio, smallpox, chicken pox, hepatitis B, meningitis, and tetanus. You don’t hear about these diseases as much because vaccines have helped curb their incidence by over 95-99%
Vaccines prevent diseases that could lead to pneumonia, seizures, deafness, brain damage, loss of a limb, or death
If your child is not vaccinated, they could spread disease to other children too young to be vaccinated or other people living with a serious medical condition, such as cancer
Vaccines are safe, they work, and they are the best way to protect your children and your whole community

What you need to know:

History shows that vaccines are the safest and most effective way to protect yourself and your family from many preventable diseases. Everyone should get all recommended vaccines at the recommended times. It is especially important for children and teens to get any catch-up doses of missed vaccines as soon as they can. Adults should also get their recommended vaccines for their age or other risk factors, such as health condition or occupation. There are vaccines for any age and any stage in life. Speak to your provider for recommendations that are age appropriate and for catch up if you have missed your vaccines.

To make an appointment for you or your child to get your recommended vaccines at Sun River Health, or to find a location near you, visit sunriver.org.