Vaccine

Vaccine

Viruses can be challenging to treat.  Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot be killed with antibiotics.  For this reason, most virus treatments focus instead on prevention, and the primary tool for virus prevention is vaccination. 

Once your body has been exposed to and overcome a particular viral infection, you will no longer be susceptible to it.  A vaccine works by building specific antibodies in response to a weakened or killed version of the virus.  In some cases, a single vaccination is enough to provide lifelong protection against that disease.  In others, routine "booster" shots are required to maintain its effectiveness.  Through the use of vaccines, many diseases that were once devastating have been driven into obscurity. 

Infants are required to receive vaccinations against the following diseases:
-- Hepatitis A and B
-- Polio
-- Measles, Mumps and Rubella
-- Diptheria
-- Pertussis (whooping cough)
-- Tetanus
-- HiB (bacterial influenza)
-- Chickenpox
-- Rotavirus
-- Meningococcal disease

Some of these vaccinations require booster shots, so it's important to check with your healthcare provider to see how often a booster should be administered.  For example, a fresh tetanus vaccine is required every 10 years. 

In addition to the basic vaccines required by all children, some vaccines are taken in adulthood.  One example is the HPV vaccine, which protects against the human papillomavirus.  Adults should also have annual flu vaccines, and pneumonia vaccines are recommended for the elderly and people at high risk of infection.