Introduction
A vaccination is administered to prevent a person from contracting a certain disease. Vaccinations are therefore one of the most effective preventive measures to protect against disease. Preventive means that the vaccination is applied to a healthy person before he or she falls ill.
This means that no disease is treated to cure it, but a vaccination protects against a disease breaking out in the first place. If a high vaccination rate is achieved, i.e. if many or almost all people in a certain area are vaccinated, certain diseases can be completely eliminated (eradicated) in this area. An example of this in Europe is poliomyelitis, popularly known as polio. Vaccinations are nowadays well tolerated in most cases. Failure to vaccinate can lead to a potentially life-threatening disease, which could have been effectively prevented by vaccination.
Advantages of the vaccination
The advantages of the vaccination are obvious. The vaccination protects against a disease before it has occurred. It therefore has a preventive effect and prevents severe, sometimes life-threatening courses of the disease.
With a sufficiently high vaccination rate, a disease can be eradicated. For example polio (poliomyelitis) in Europe or smallpox. Before vaccines existed, many people died because they suffered from diseases like smallpox and no adequate therapy existed.
Disadvantages of the vaccination
Vaccination can lead to side effects. These can be very different. There may be minimal side effects such as painful redness and swelling around the injection site, flu-like symptoms may develop and last for several days.
These include malaise, fatigue, aching limbs and fever. An allergic reaction to a vaccine can also be triggered, which may need to be treated quickly. Other side effects may vary depending on the vaccine.
For example, the combined vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella can cause “vaccine measles”. One to two weeks after vaccination, fever and a rash similar to measles develop. These inoculation measers occur rarely.
Again and again there is a rumor that sudden infant death could be related to vaccinations. However, there is no evidence that vaccines can cause sudden infant death. In rare cases, vaccinations can cause permanent damage, for example of a neurological nature.
One example is nerve paralysis, which can occur in very rare cases. The list of side effects listed here is not complete, but only a selection. Other side effects may vary depending on the vaccine.
For example, the combination vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella can lead to “vaccination measles”. One to two weeks after vaccination, fever and a rash similar to measles develop. These inoculation measers occur rarely.
Again and again there is a rumor that sudden infant death could be related to vaccinations. However, there is no evidence that vaccines can cause sudden infant death. In rare cases, vaccinations can cause permanent damage, for example of a neurological nature. One example is nerve paralysis, which can occur in very rare cases. The list of side effects listed here is not complete, but only a selection.