What is vaccines used for

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Each ingredient in a vaccine serves a specific purpose: provide immunity protection keep the vaccine safe and long lasting for the production of the vaccine. Vaccine Ingredients. Also found automobile exhaust, and household furnishing such as carpets and upholstery. Updated February 7, Immunizations in children and adolescents.

Overview of the immune system. NIAID website. Updated December 30, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Updated December 28, Vaccines and side effects: The facts. Healthy Children—American Academy of Pediatrics website. Updated November 21, Vaccines for children—a guide for parents and caregivers. Updated September 16, Exceptional Nurses Winchester Hospital was the first community hospital in the state to achieve Magnet designation, recognition for nursing excellence.

Supporting Our Community Our tremendous staff gives back to our community by coordinating free health screenings, educational programs, and food drives. What Our Patients are Saying A leading indicator of our success is the feedback we get from our patients. Home Health Library. What Are Vaccines? The Immune System The immune system is a hour machine equipped to manage attacks from invaders to prevent or inhibit infections.

How Vaccines Fit In The concept behind vaccines is to stimulate an antibody memory response without producing an actual illness. There are several ways an antigen can be used: Attenuated live viruses—Weakened forms of a live virus.

They do not cause illness, but will create an immune response. Examples include the MMR measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines. Inactivated viruses—A version of the virus that has been killed. Although the virus is dead, antibodies will still be produced. Examples include the polio vaccine. Recombinant—Viruses are made in a lab through genetic engineering.

This way, a specific gene can be reproduced. The human papillomavirus HPV has several strains. The HPV vaccine can be tailored to protect against strains that cause cervical cancer. Conjugate—Bacteria and virus antigens may have a polysaccharide coating, a sugar-like substance to protect it.

Conjugate vaccines work around the disguise to recognize the bacteria. The Hib vaccine is an example of a conjugate. Subunit—Uses only the antigens that stimulate an immune response. The flu shot is a subunit vaccine. Toxiod—Inactivated versions of bacterial toxins are used to make the immunity. Examples include the tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. Vaccines can be: Injected most common —a needle is inserted into a muscle or just under the skin Oral—taken by mouth Intranasal—inhaled through the nose Vaccines to Prevent Other Diseases All vaccines are designed to target infections.

However, two commonly recommended vaccines have the added benefit of protecting against cancer: Hepatitis B —Because it is a cause of liver cancer and alcoholic cirrhosis , a hepatitis B vaccine can help protect you against these liver diseases.

There is also a vaccine available for hepatitis A. HPV—The leading cause of cervical cancer and the precancerous cervical dysplasia in females. In males, different types of HPV can cause genital warts.

Others types can cause cancers of the penis, anus , and back of the mouth and throat. The Importance of Vaccination Vaccines have been around long enough that many young people and parents are unaware of the devastation that infectious disease has caused around the world. Safety and Controversy Vaccine safety has been a concern since they have been available, so the controversies are not new. Cancer Care. Emergency Services. Cesarean Birth. Imaging Services.

High Blood Pressure. Laboratory Services. Maternity Services. Hip Replacement. Primary Care. It is best to wait 4 weeks 1 month after having these vaccines before trying to get pregnant. Read more about pregnancy and immunisation.

The following vaccines are given in special cases to people at high risk of getting some infections. These vaccines are not usually funded but some may be funded for special cases. In the following videos, Dr Keriana Bird discusses commonly asked questions about immunisation. Knowing the facts can help you feel more confident about making sure your child has all their vaccinations.

BCG vaccine — information for parents. Immunise against chickenpox. Looking for Where to get medical help A health professional or service Patient portals Newsletters View all. Who needs them? Are there any risks? Routine vaccination Routine vaccinations are a series of vaccines that are offered free to babies, children, adolescents and adults. It is given to everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand aged 12 years and over. It protects against rotavirus, which affects your gut tummy and causes severe diarrhoea runny poos and vomiting being sick, also called gastro.

It is given to babies at 6 weeks and 3 months of age. Read more about rotavirus and r otavirus vaccine. It protects against 6 infections: diphtheria , tetanus , whooping cough , hepatitis B , poliomyelitis and disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae. Infanrix-hexa is given to babies at 6 weeks, 3 months and 5 months of age.

Read more about Infanrix-hexa. It protects against pneumococcal disease, which can cause various infections ranging from sinusitis and ear infections to life-threatening infections such as pneumonia , septicaemia or meningitis.

Read more about pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal vaccine. It is used for a booster vaccination to protect against disease caused by the bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae, which causes mild to very serious illness, particularly in children under the age of 5 years. It is given to babies at 15 months of age. Read more about Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus influenza type B vaccine. It is a combination vaccine that is given as a single injection.

It protects against 3 serious infections: measles , mumps and rubella. It is given to babies at 12 months and 15 months. Read more about measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. It protects against chickenpox also called varicella-zoster infection. It is given to infants at 15 months or children at 11 years of age if they have not had the vaccination or the disease.

Read more about c hickenpox and c hickenpox vaccine. It protects against 4 infections: diphtheria , tetanus , whooping cough and poliomyelitis. Infanrix-IPV is usually given to children at 4 years of age, but can be used for catch-up vaccination for children up to their 10th birthday. It protects against 3 infections: diphtheria , tetanus and whooping cough. Boostrix is usually given to children at 11 years and adults at 65 years of age.

It can be given to adults at age 45 years who have not previously received 4 doses of tetanus-containing vaccine. It protects against the human papillomavirus virus HPV , which can cause genital warts and is linked to cervical and anal cancer.

Read more about Human papillomavirus and HPV vaccine. Influenza vaccine This is also called the flu vaccine. It protects against the sometimes serious effects of influenza flu. Each year the flu vaccine is made to match the different strains of flu virus you are likely to encounter.

Read more about influenza and influenza vaccine. It is used to protect against shingles also called herpes zoster infection and its complications.

Read more about shingles and shingles vaccine. Vaccination and pregnancy It is recommended that all pregnant women get the influenza vaccine and COVID vaccine at any stage of pregnancy and whooping cough vaccine from 16 weeks gestation. Other vaccines non-routine immunisation The following vaccines are given in special cases to people at high risk of getting some infections.