Vaccines help protect us from serious, often crucial illnesses. Vaccines are one of the most significant medical advancements in human history, saving lives and protecting from the damages of infectious diseases. By introducing a small, harmless piece of a virus or bacteria to our bodies, vaccines trigger a powerful immune response, shielding us from the full-blown effects of deadly diseases.
In this blog, we'll explore the world of vaccines and the diseases they prevent, from familiar foes like measles and mumps to more obscure threats like HPV and Hib. Together, let's protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities from the dangers of infectious diseases.
BCG Effective Against Tuberculosis
Symptoms and effects: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection that most often attacks the lungs, but in infants and young children, affects other organs like the brain.
Hep B Effective Against Hepatitis B
Symptoms and effects: Hepatitis B virus is a dangerous liver infection that often shows no symptoms for decades even when caught as an infant . It can develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life.
Polio Effective Against Polio Virus
Symptoms and effects: Polio is a virus that paralyzes 1 in 200 people who get infected. Among those cases, 5 to 10 per cent die when their breathing muscles are paralyzed. There is no cure for polio once the paralysis sets in – only treatment to reduce the symptoms.
DTP Effective Against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
Symptoms and effects:
Diphtheria: Diphtheria infects the throat and tonsils, making it hard for children to breathe and swallow. Severe cases can cause heart, kidney and/or nerve damage.
Tetanus: Tetanus causes very painful muscle contractions. It can cause children’s neck and jaw muscles to lock (lockjaw), making it hard for them to open their mouth, swallow (breastfeed) or breathe. Even with treatment, tetanus is often fatal.
Pertussis: Pertussis (whooping cough) causes coughing spells that can last for weeks. In some cases, it can lead to trouble breathing, pneumonia, and death.
Hib Effective Against Haemophilus Influenza Type b (Hib)
Symptoms and effects: Hib is a bacterium that causes pneumonia, meningitis and other severe infections almost exclusively in children under 5 years old.
Pneumococcal Effective Against Pneumococcal diseases
Symptoms and effects: Pneumococcal diseases range from serious diseases such as meningitis and pneumonia to milder but more common infections like sinusitis and ear infections.
Rotavirus Effective Against Rotavirus
Symptoms and effects: Rotaviruses cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and shock in young children. This can lead to death if treatment, especially fluid replacement, is not immediately started.
MMR Effective Against Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Symptoms and effects:
Measles: Measles is a highly contagious disease with symptoms that include fever, runny nose, white spots in the back of the mouth and a rash. Serious cases can cause blindness, brain swelling and death.
Mumps: Mumps can cause headache, malaise, fever, and swollen salivary glands. Complications can include meningitis, swollen testicles and deafness.
Rubella: Rubella infection in children and adults is usually mild, but in pregnant women it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death or birth defects.
HPV Effective Against Human papilloma virus (HPV)
Symptoms and effects: HPV usually has no symptoms, but some strains can cause cervical cancer – the fourth most common cancer in women. Almost all cases of cervical cancer (99 per cent) are caused by HPV. HPV can also cause genital warts in both men and women, as well as cancer on other parts of the body.
