Vaccinations

Figure 1. Sample smallpox vaccination with needle (Source)

Brief: Vaccinations have long been a staple of the human fight against microorganisms. While a small percentage of the population believes that vaccinations have no actual impact on the human ability to battle illness. However, it has been proven in numerous studies that vaccinations do indeed help the immune system. This happens because the body is able to recognize the antigens present in the vaccination and apply them when the real pathogen does invade the body. The result being that the body's immune reaction has a quicker response which limits damage to the organism.



At around 400 B.C. it has been shown that doctors were capable of diagnosing different types of diseases by their symptoms. It wasn't until 1100 A.D. that doctors would attempt a new method called variolation. This involves using the tissue of an afflicted patient and introducing it to the body of the target individual. It was then shown that the patients were less likely to develop smallpox. In 1879 Louis Pasteur developed the first live culture vaccine for chicken cholera. From this point onward, vaccines were starting to be developed quickly for all of the major afflictions on mankind. The first mark of success was when smallpox was completely eradicated in the 1970's. Currently, there vaccinations available for almost all types of diseases today. Generally they are weakened or dead versions of the live cultures, and can be introduced to the body in a variety of ways. Symptoms of vaccination can often include mild cases of the disease but they are generally less pronounced.

Use: The vaccine can be taken orally, injected by puncture(intramuscular, intradermal, subcutaneous), transdermal, or intranasal. Because viruses and bacteria change their genetic structure at different intervals, vaccinations must be retaken to ensure continued immunity.

Source: General Info, Timeline, Additional Information