By Azba Shaikh

As the COVID-19 pandemic almost comes to an end, vaccinations have become a pretty hot topic nowadays. Today, we will be discussing about the importance of routine immunization in observance of National Immunization Awareness Month this August and how we as part of our community can do our part by getting vaccinated.

The CDC defines a vaccine as a preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. This is done by injecting a killed or weakened form of the pathogen which leads to the body producing antibodies as it would in response to have had actually caught the disease. The body then forms memory cells so that when the patient is exposed to the actual pathogen, the body will easily recognize it and stimulate a very strong response against having encountered it earlier on.

When a child is born, one of the first vaccinations given within 24 hours is the Hepatitis B vaccine because there is always a risk a mother who has the disease can unknowingly pass the virus onto their baby. A very big misconception which should be addressed is that taking the vaccine does not prevent you from contracting the disease but it definitely helps to prevent any serious symptoms from occurring as your body has already been in contact with it before.

Unfortunately, during the pandemic, this was highly debated, and the need for vaccinations became politicized. However, we should know that being vaccinated is not only a responsibility we serve to our own bodies to stay healthy, but also to protect those who are around us.

Pediatricians across the globe perform routine check-ups called “well-child visits,” during which the child’s immunization records are also checked and they are further scheduled to take their shots. After age 18, it is not a common practice to consistently check them as adults, so we must take it upon ourselves to be educated about them and visit our doctors as needed. There are many public immunization centers also available throughout the country that administer vaccines free of cost for those who can’t afford them or their insurance does not cover it. The Influenza vaccine is one of them, which is recommended to be taken annually during flu season. (October-February).

Vaccinations are a medical practice that been followed for a very long time, and that’s why diseases like smallpox have been eradicated and other diseases, such as polio and tetanus, are almost eradicated.

Never hesitate to reach out to someone who can share their knowledge with you about this and also allow your friends and family to have the opportunity to learn as well. To learn more about vaccination scheduling for children and both adults, kindly check the chart available on the CDC website.