Vaccinations – GCSE Biology B (Triple) OCR Revision

What are Vaccinations?

Vaccinations are a way of protecting the body against harmful diseases.
They involve introducing a small, safe piece of the disease-causing organism, or pathogen, into the body.
This stimulates the body’s immune system to produce a response, which usually includes producing white blood cells and antibodies that fight against the pathogen.
The body remembers this response, so if it encounters the same pathogen again, it can fight it off more quickly and effectively, preventing the person from getting sick.
This is called immunity.

Vaccines can be made from killed pathogens, weakened pathogens, or specific parts of the pathogen such as its DNA or proteins.
The aim is to stimulate an immune response without causing the person to suffer from the full disease.
The use of DNA or proteins is safer but often induces a weaker immune response, so booster shots may be needed.

Vaccination programs that aim to immunise the majority of the population can lead to herd immunity.
Herd immunity refers to when enough people in a community are vaccinated, making it harder for the disease to spread because there are fewer susceptible people.
Crucially, herd immunity can help protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as those with weak immune systems, by reducing their risk of exposure to the pathogen.
Successful examples of vaccination programs include the near-eradication of polio and smallpox.

Vaccinations have saved millions of lives and are considered one of the most effective health interventions.
However, they are sometimes controversial due to misconceptions, misinformation, and the rare but potential side-effects.
It is essential to understand that while any medication, including vaccines, can have side effects, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.
Vaccines are thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy before they are approved for use.
Vaccination refusal can put both the individual and the wider community at risk of disease outbreak.