The Story of Vaccines
The whole world is struggling to deal with the spread of COVID-19. You must have seen or read that the Doctors, Scientists, Government and Media, are insisting people to get their vaccine dose. Many groups and organizations are running campaigns for the vaccination. But why are they so much insisting to get vaccine?
If not for vaccines, we would be spending half of our lives by fighting many deadly diseases. It is thanks to vaccines that we have eradicated various infectious diseases from the face of the Earth. Vaccination plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy population, it prevents various germs from attacking us and this has prevented millions of deaths. In this article, we share with you the story of vaccines and vaccination.
Why do we vaccinate?
We all have been vaccinated at different points of life. But why do we take vaccines. Vaccination helps in protecting us from serious diseases caused by germs. The administration of various vaccines helps our immune system to develop protection from several infectious diseases. Therefore it is also known as ‘immunization’.
Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases. Herd immunity improves when a large percentage of the population is vaccinated. Widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the elimination of diseases such as polio and tetanus from much of the world.
Origin of the Word ‘Vaccine’
Both ‘vaccine’ and ‘vaccination’ come from a Cowpox Virus known as Vaccinia. The word as we know today began to be used in the 19th century. The term was coined by Edward Jenner from the Latin word Vaccinus that means ‘From Cows’
In the 1800s, cowpox created a scare in Britain, many people lost their lives from it. It was then that a British physician Edward Jenner infected people with weakened cowpox virus to immunize them from smallpox.
The word vaccination thereafter came to be in use to talk about the technique he publicized for preveting smallpox by injecting people with a similar but much milder virus
History of Vaccination
●When was inoculation first practiced in the world?
The process of inoculation against smallpox was used by Chinese physicians in the 10th century. Evidence from some ancient texts like Sact’eya Grantham, an ayurvedic text suggest that inoculation was originated in india.
In the beginning after 18th century, the Greek physician Emmanuel Timonis and Jacob Pylarinos practiced smallpox inoculation at Constantinople inoculation became popular in England after these physicians published their work.
Inoculation and other forms of variolation- another type of inoculation were introduced in England by Lady Montegu by famous English letter-writer and the wife of the English ambassador at Istanbul. This happened between 1716 and 1718.
●Role of Edward Jenner in Vaccination
Jenner’s method was quite simple. He took the pustular (a small often distinctively colored elevation or spot resembling a blister or pimple) material from of person affected with cowpox and inoculated it to the skin of a healthy person. He did this by taking material from a cowpox vesicle on Sarah Nelmes, a milkmaid, into the arm of a boy named James Phipps. Two months later he inocuated the boy with smallpox and the disease did not develop.
Jenner published his finding in 1798 under the title ‘An enquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vacciae’. Though it sparked opposition in the beginning, it was iaccepted widely following the success of the procedure. This was a keystone achievement in the history of vaccinations.
●When was inoculation first practiced in India?
The history of vaccination in India is closely connected with the efforts to eradicate the villainous smallpox. Like in many other countries, smallpox was well known since ancient times in India. One of the best recorded smallpox epidemics was reported from Goa in 1545 A.D. when an estimated 8,000 children died. It is even believed that smallpox originated in India. In many places, smallpox was initially known as Indian plague.
Like in many European countries, inoculation was practised in India as well as a method to protect against the infection. The inoculation practice has been documented from different parts of India, especially in Bengal and Bombay presidencies. But there are not many records regarding the number of people who were inoculated.
How is a vaccine developed?
The development of vaccines is a very complex procedure. Sometimes, it takes 10 to 15 years for the development of a vaccine. There are six stages in the development of a vaccine.
– Exploratory stage
– Pre-clinical
– Clinical development
– Regulatory review and approval
– Manufacturing
– Quality control
All the research about the antigens, the substances that will prevent a disease and synthetic antigens takes place in the exploratory satge. After considerable amount of research, the formula of the vaccine goes through a series of tests.
If the vaccine passes through all the phases of clinical trials, the vaccine developer can apply for the approval. It can be commercially manufactured only after gaining the approval from the concerned licensing authority.
Does the vaccination have any side-effects? It wouldn’t be wrong to say that vaccines do have some side-effects. But most of the side-effects are mild.
The common side-effects include redness or swelling at the injection site, joint pain, muscle weakness, fever, fatigue, vomiting and sleep disturbances. These conditions will not last longer than a few days.
COVID-19 and Vaccination
How long has it been since you last went to school or college and met your teachers and friends? It’s been months, right? Since the covid hit the world, we have all been advised to stay home and sanitize ourselves in order to stay safe. Sanitizers and masks have been added to our daily use products, all because of one tiny, yet dangerous virus – COVID-19.
If you have been following the news you, would be aware about the discussions across the world regarding COVID-19 vaccine.
But why is the vaccine so important? It is because the virus spreads easily and the majority of the world’s population is still vulnerable to it. Vaccine would provide some protection by training people’s immune system to fight the virus. This would allow lockdown to be lifted more safely and social distancing to be relaxed. Kindly take your first shot of the vaccine to protect yourself and others from this deadly virus.
Informative 😇
Good
Very well put together! Keep it up Aman!
Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful article.
Thank you for supplying this info.
We are a gaggle of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your site provided us with helpful information to work on. You’ve performed a formidable
activity and our entire neighborhood shall be thankful to you.