When a patient is vaccinated, he or she receives a vaccine injected under the skin or into the muscle, or swallows the drug. The vaccine contains the pathogens of dangerous diseases, such as flu viruses, but not in a concentrated form: They are usually attenuated germs that are incapable of reproducing in the case of live vaccines or inactivated vaccines. In this active immunization, the antibodies of the vaccinated person are activated. In passive immunization, the patient is injected with antibodies against a specific pathogen. The antibodies in turn ensure that the immune system produces memory cells. If an infection occurs, the antibodies attach themselves to the pathogens and render them harmless. Passive immunization usually only works for a few months. If patients have received the basic vaccinations during active immunization, a booster every ten years is sufficient.
Is skepticism about vaccination appropriate?
Vaccination is necessary protection, vaccines are safe and well tolerated – and yet some people are skeptical. But: vaccines are among the drugs that are arguably the best tested, because the requirements for their safety are high. Keyword “side effects”: So-called vaccination reactions can occur with vaccinations, usually fever, redness or swelling at the injection site, which disappear after a short time. Worldwide vaccination programs have protected millions of people from dangerous diseases. However, precisely because many diseases such as measles, rubella and mumps have become rarer, knowledge of the dangers of infections has been lost. This can be clearly seen in low vaccination coverage rates, especially for booster shots for diphtheria or tetanus.
