Paper - Full Analysis

IMMUNIZATION 7

Immunization

Mary Jones

IHP-610-X3562 Health Policy and Law

Southern New Hampshire University

02/05/2017

Immunization

This is the process through which a person is made resistant to a certain disease typically by administering a vaccine. This is done in a controlled way so that the body is not put at the risk of contracting the said disease. The process helps the body’s immune system fight of the disease by providing the body's immune system with the skills for handling a certain attack so that, should the same disease attack the body in the future the body's immune system will have the skills to respond appropriately. Exposing the body immune system to a certain disease during immunization helps the body retain the skills/abilities through immunological memory that it can use in the future (Pickering, 2012).

There are different elements of the immune system involved in this process. This is what the immunization improves as a way to ready them for a possible future attack. They include the T cells, B cells, and the B cell antibodies produced. The memory T and B cells are tasked with the quick recovery in the case of a second attack of the same disease.

Forms of Immunization

Active immunization

This happens when one comes naturally into contact with a microbe; the body then takes measures to protect its self, by producing antibodies and other forms of defense systems against this microbe (Tunkel, 2008). When this microbe attacks in the future the body will be ready with the steps it took within the first time it got attacked to eliminate the microbe even faster than before

Passive Immunization

This is the introduction of pre-synthesized elements into the body; these elements are already capable of dealing with a particular foreign element such that the body does not need to produce anything so as to fight the disease in question. Antibodies are the most widely used for passive immunization. Passive immunization produces fast results as the body receives antibodies and only has to apply them to attack a certain disease. The disadvantage of this, however, is that these results are not long lasting. This is because the antibodies used are quickly broken down by the host's body and since the body didn't get to learn how to make more their advantage end the moment the antibodies are gone.

A good example of passive immunization is the transfer of antibodies from mother to fetus during pregnancy. This help protects the fetus from foreign molecules before and shortly after birth. Other examples include harvesting antibodies from animals that were first injected with snake venom to make their bodies produce antibodies that can eliminate the effects of the snake venom, then get these antibodies into the body of a snake bite victim. These transfer of antibodies help the snake bite victim heal from the snake bite but these healing properties end as soon as the body breaks down the antibodies.

Vaccination

This is the most common form of immunization it works by introducing vaccines into the body system, these vaccines act against disease-causing microorganisms. Without these vaccines, the body's immune system would not be well equipped to deal with these microorganisms. This technology can be furthered to make it possible to use other body molecules for immunization, though this is still being developed, there are experimental vaccines applying this technology to attack the likes of nicotine and ghrelin and provide better results for the affected.

Immunization is mostly preferred as it is the best and easiest way to protect both children and adults against future attacks of deadly diseases. It not only helps protect life but also help develop the human body defense system. Through immunization, certain diseases that destroyed entire civilization in past years have almost been completely eradicated from the world.

History

Before the invention of vaccination, people became immune to infectious diseases, by contracting the disease in question and surviving them. This was referred to as inoculation although this term was mostly used in reference to the prevention of cowpox. Inoculation was the method used to prevent against some infectious disease of the early 18th century before the introduction of inoculation with other diseases which was later known as vaccination (WHO, 2017).

Why continue immunizing

The question of what are the advantages of continuing with immunization despite the reports from the media of some of the diseases we immunize against almost being eradicated is common. The answer to this question is, there are remnants of these diseases trapped in the genes of all of us. Through continued immunization, these diseases are kept at bay without the possible of flaring up and causing an epidemic. Stopping immunization would lead to the introduction of people with active cells of these diseases in the society. These people would first get sick then infect others who are not vaccinated and before long the diseases that were previously almost completely gone would reappear. Vaccination is not a cure but a way of ensuring that the body cannot be infected by a certain disease even if the body comes into contact with this infection.

The importance of immunization is mostly seen when it comes to children. Newborns are immune to numerous diseases at birth, due to the immunity they got from their mothers. This immunity, however, fades off as it was passive immunization and their bodies have to start learning to protect them (CDC, 2017). Before immunization, this lack of formidable body defense system in newborns led to the death of most of them from diseases such as whooping cough, measles, and polio. With immunization, some of these diseases have almost been completely eradicated.

Immunization of every possible person helps protect the community. This is mostly for those who cannot be immunized for one reason or the other or those who do not respond to immunization. By ensuring that the rest of the community is immunized we ensure that these people are not exposed to infectious diseases from the community (Teitelbaum, 2017). Most infectious disease not only brings death but also cost expense due to doctor visits, hospitalization, parents missing work among many more disadvantages. By immunizing we eliminate all these negative effects.

References

Teitelbaum, J.B., & Wilensky, S.E. (2017). Essentials of health policy and law (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN:978-1-287-05754-3

CDC. 2014. Why childhood vaccines so important. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/howvpd.htm

World Health Organization.2017. Immunization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topiccs/immunization/en/

Pickering, L. K., Baker, C. J., & Kimberlin, D. W. (2012). Red Book, (2012). American Academy of Pediatrics.

Tunkel, A. R., Glaser, C. A., Bloch, K. C., Sejvar, J. J., Marra, C. M., Roos, K. L., ... & Whitley, R. J. (2008). The management of encephalitis: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 47(3), 303-327.