What is vaccine?

A vaccine is a drug solution used for vaccination of infectious diseases. Vaccines can be divided into "live vaccines" "inactivated vaccines" "toxoids". A "live vaccine" is one that weakened the pathogenicity of a pathogen, "an inactivated vaccine" is a pathogen lacking pathogenicity, and "toxoid" is a pathogen that lacks toxin.

Types of immunization

【Periodic inoculation (type A disease)】
Hib / pneumococcus / hepatitis B (prevention of horizontal infection) / DPT-IPV stage I / BCG / rubella / mixed measles / varicella / Japanese encephalitis / DT II stage / HPV

【Regular Inoculation (Type B Disease)】
Influenza / S. pneumoniae

【Optional inoculation】
Hepatitis B (prevention of mother-to-child transmission) / rotavirus / mumps / hepatitis A / tetanus toxoid / meningococcus / yellow fever / rabies / adult diphtheria toxoid

Regular inoculation must be received (immunization law).

Role of the vaccine

By inoculating a vaccine, you can make "antibodies (proteins made by a kind of lymphocytes)" against the pathogen in the body. Next, when the same pathogen comes into the body it suppresses the growth of that pathogen. This function of suppressing proliferation is called "immunity".

Vaccine problem

Although the vaccine prevents and suppresses various diseases and medical conditions, there are problems as well. One of them is "side effects". In Japan, many lawsuits have occurred due to side effects of vaccines, and there are times when Japanese pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to research and develop vaccines.
Major side effects include the onset of polio and tuberculosis from relatively light things such as red swelling of inoculation sites and fever.

However, since many of the vaccines currently used are confirmed to be safe, we can safely vaccinate.

However, it is necessary to observe the rule of vaccination (for example, influenza vaccination can not be given if there is a fever above 37.5 ℃). In addition, there are occasions when side effects such as anaphylaxis rarely occur due to the constitution etc, so in that case there is a necessity to consult a medical institution promptly.

 

 

On the next page we will do the "experiment".