Types of Vaccines

If you are planning a trip to an exotic location or simply need to go abroad on a business trip, you will need to have your vaccinations in order. Not only is this for your own safety but also for the safety of others who you may come in contact with. When learning about vaccination, it is crucial to understand the different types of vaccines and the importance of each one.

A general definition of vaccines would be harmless agents that the body perceives as enemies. The basic function of vaccines is to stimulate the body's immune system into action by producing antibodies against these foreign bodies. As such, the vaccines provide the body with the means to protect itself from harmful diseases.

Today, there are four main types of vaccines in use. These are the killed vaccines, the attenuated vaccines, DNA vaccines as well as sub-unit vaccines.

Killed vaccines are mainly used for most vaccination measures and as the name suggests, the pathogens used to stimulate your body's immune system into action are already dead. On the other hand, attenuated vaccines use live organisms to stimulate the same response. You may be concerned that these live organisms may cause disease but worry not, they are biologically altered so that they are harmless.

Sub-unit vaccines simply refer to vaccines that have purified parts of the pathogens while DNA vaccines refer to vaccines created from splicing a virus or pathogen with a part of a protective antigen. These last two will not be considered in this article as they are generally not used.

When learning about the different types of vaccines, you should know the duration which the different types of vaccines are given. Vaccines need to be given at multiple intervals as the immune system tends to 'forget' the pathogens it has already been immunized against. Depending on where you will be visiting, you may need one of the following vaccines.

The DTP vaccine is used to immunize an individual against diphtheria. Diphtheria refers to bacterial illness that causes sore throat and possible heart and nerve damage if not addressed by a medical professional. The disease is caused by the inhalation of infected particles. The interval for this type of vaccine is every 2 months from birth to when the child is of 6 years of age. The child will also need immunization when they are 15 months old and finally when they reach 5 years.

The DTP vaccine may also be used to vaccinate against tetanus which is a bacterial infection that affects dirty wounds. Known for causing painful muscle contractions, tetanus can be really difficult to treat if not immunized against. The vaccination interval for this type of vaccine is the same as for Diphtheria and must be repeated every ten years.

Other types of vaccines that you may need to get include polio, cholera, pneumonia as well as typhoid fever. There are also special types of vaccines that are only administered under special conditions. These include the rabies vaccine, the Lyme disease vaccine, and the Hepatitis B vaccine to name a few.