Vaccination

Vaccination is the process of administration of antigenic material that is a vaccine into the body so as to produce immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens. There is strong proof that the influenza vaccine, the HPV vaccine and the chicken pox vaccine among others vaccines have saved many a lives. The most effective and cost-effective medicine available is a vaccine. The vaccine administered can either be live but weakened forms of pathogens like the bacteria or viruses, killed or inactivated forms of these pathogens, or purified material such as proteins. Vaccination should be done for babies against BCG, whooping cough etc. As early as 200 B.C. inoculation was developed in ancient China. In order to eradicate disease Countries all over the world are giving wide publicity in order to motivate the people to inoculate their children. In fact the WHO is also taking an active part in this. The WHO in the year 1988 set a target to eradicate Polio by the end of the year 2000. Even though this did not succeed fully, Polio is almost eradicated. Vaccination is administered orally, by injection (Intramuscular, intradermal or subcutaneous), by puncture or intranasal.