A vaccine is understood as any preparation intended to generate immunity against a disease by stimulating the production of antibodies. It may be, for example, a suspension of dead or attenuated microorganisms, or products or derivatives of microorganisms. The most common method of administering vaccines is by injection, although some are administered with a nasal or oral spray.
Vaccines are the main achievement of biomedical research and one of the main causes of improving human health and quality of life. The first vaccine discovered was the one used to combat smallpox by Edward Jenner in 1796, and it owes its name to the fact that the milkers of the time who were in contact with cowpox or bovine pox (“cowpox”), which was less pathogenic, made these people immunized and not contract human smallpox.
In each country it is recommended that children be vaccinated as soon as their immune system is capable of responding to artificial immunization, with subsequent booster doses as necessary, to achieve the best health protection.
Apart from the childhood vaccination schedule and travel situations, some vaccines are recommended throughout life (booster dose) such as tetanus, flu, pneumonia. Pregnant women are often tested for resistance to rubella. For older people, vaccines against pneumonia and flu are especially recommended, diseases that are even more dangerous after a certain age.
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