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Vaccines play a critical role in both personal and public health, and many people are surprised to learn they aren’t fully immunized. For those in and around Surprise, Chandler, Avondale, Glendale, Mesa, Gilbert, and Phoenix, Arizona, the team of practitioners at HealthyU Clinics can help you understand your vaccination status and fill in any gaps. Book your visit online or by calling the office nearest you.
Vaccines Q & A
What are vaccines?
Vaccines provide your immune system with a “training run” in fighting specific types of disease. When you receive the full list of vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you develop a strong and resilient immune system that can fight off many common infections.
Vaccines are administered via injection. The terms “vaccination” and “immunization” refer to the process of using vaccines to develop immunity, although these terms are often used interchangeably.
Getting vaccinated is an important part of remaining healthy throughout your lifetime. Vaccines also play a critical role in community health. When the majority of a population is immunized against a specific disease, that disease cannot easily take hold because there aren’t enough hosts. This keeps the entire community safe and is why America does not experience the same widespread outbreaks of many diseases as other parts of the world where vaccines aren’t readily available.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines work by introducing a substance into your body that triggers an immune reaction. Some vaccines are made from a weakened or dead version of a specific germ, while others use other methods to prompt an immune response.
When your body detects the risk of infection, it responds by creating special cells to fight off that disease. Those cells remain with you, so if you ever encounter the full-strength version of that disease, your body is ready for battle.
This entire process would happen on its own without vaccines. However, some diseases are so strong that they can overwhelm you before your immune system can create that immunity. Ideally, the vaccines you receive during childhood protect you before you’re exposed to disease.
Other vaccines, like those for the flu and COVID-19, protect you both in childhood and adulthood.
Are vaccines safe?
A great deal of misinformation about disease is spread online and in casual conversation. Health experts around the world agree that vaccines are not only safe and effective, but they’re also a critical part of preventing the spread of communicable diseases.
If you have questions or concerns about any vaccine's safety, the HealthyU Clinics practitioners are here to provide science-based guidance and information. Book a visit online or by phone at any time to learn more.