The Importance of Immunization, Especially with COVID-19 | A YAC Student Blog
Dilara Sen
Dilara Sen is a 12th grader at Westerville Central High School and an active member of the Columbus Medical Association Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Dilara joined YAC because: “I want to have a direct impact on my community and help the youth find programs and events that will educate them and provide them with amazing opportunities.” Learn more about YAC here.
Although we are in unprecedented times, it is now more important than ever to make sure you’re all caught up on vaccines. Vaccines protect you from deadly diseases as well as keep others safe by decreasing the risks of spreading disease.
They build up the immune system by exposing you to a dead or weakened version of the germ which in turn creates the antibodies needed if you were to contract the disease. No convincing evidence has been found that they cause harm, there are only potential short term side effects.
With the uncertainty of the Covid-19 virus, it’s important to keep your immune system strong to reduce your chances of contracting coronavirus. One way to do this is to make sure you are up to date on all of your vaccines. A sample vaccine schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) can be seen below:
Below is a description of why each vaccine is needed:
Hepatitis A
Protects against hepatitis A which can cause liver failure and death
Hepatitis B
Protects against hepatitis B which can cause liver failure, cancer, and death
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
Measles causes a rash and cold-like symptoms and can lead to seizures, pneumonia, and brain damage
Mumps cause flu-like symptoms and can lead to meningitis, deafness, sterility, and death
Rubella causes rashes and arthritis but can lead to miscarriage or birth defects in pregnant women
Polio (IPV)
Protects against polio
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)
Tetanus causes painful muscle tightening which can make it difficult to breath
Diphtheria creates a thick coating in the throat and can cause breathing problems
Pertussis causes extremely severe coughing spells
Varicella (Chickenpox)
Prevents chickenpox, which causes itchy skin rashes
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
Protects from the Hib disease which can cause lifelong disability or death
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Protects against common strains of HPV that cause genital warts
Influenza (flu)
Reduces the chances of getting the flu
Meningococcal conjugate
Helps prevent infection from the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria which attacks the meninges of the brain and spinal cord
Making sure you are up to date for each vaccine is more important than ever during this time. In order to reduce the risks of getting COVID-19, your immune system must stay strong. If you possibly contract another disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine, your chances for surviving corona will also be decreased. Therefore, check with your doctors and verify that you have received all the essential and recommended vaccines.