INTRODUCTION
I was asked to produce a case study on the topic of "Vaccinations". I was asked to come up with a question relating to the topic of Vaccinations, and the question that I came up with was "Do we need vaccinations?"
Firstly, I will be finding out some background information about vaccinations and what their purpose is. I think that people should be interested in answering my question as it could apply to them and affect their health in some way.
There will be two sides to my argument (for and against) of why/how we need vaccinations; so I have conducted some research form the internet, from books, and other scientific knowledge to back up each side of the argument.
Resources: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vs-sv/vs-faq12-eng.php
http://www.immunizeforgood.com/fact-or-fiction/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/vaccines/
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WHAT ARE VACCINATIONS?
The word 'vaccine' is derived from the words 'cow pox' used by Edward Jenner in 1796: 'vacca' meaning cow. Edward Jenner was the leading man in finding an effective way of preventing diseases/infections such as smallpox.
Vaccinations are used to artificially induce immunity against a particular disease. It is used to mimic the natural process of fighting off infections. The vaccine contains a mild form of the infection which stimulates white blood cells to produce antibodies against the pathogens. When the disease has been destroyed, memory cells stay in the blood. Memory cells are cells that remember the antibodies needed to fight a certain pathogen and will do so if the body is exposed to that pathogen again.
When a person is vaccinated against a disease or infection, their immune system is ready to fight the infection. When the vaccination takes place, the individual is exposed to the bacterium, and the immune system begins to fight and rid of the infection. Most times, the body is reacting to the invading...