- 6 reasons to get vaccines
- 1. Save your life
- 2. Protect your family and friends
- 3. Control the symptoms of asthma and other chronic diseases
- 4. Avoid antibiotic resistance
- 5. Are safe and effective
- 6. Help save money
- Who should get vaccinated
Vaccines are an important way to train and protect the body against infections and serious illnesses that can endanger each person's life, such as polio, measles or pneumonia. Thus, vaccines are implemented soon after birth, while still in the maternity ward to protect the baby in the first days of life, some of which must even be maintained throughout life to provide more lasting protection.
Although they may seem dangerous, vaccines are quite safe, being developed in certified laboratories that carry out regular studies to ensure safety and control possible side effects. However, if you are unsure about giving a vaccine, it is important to ask your doctor first.
6 reasons to get vaccines
Some of the most important reasons for getting vaccinated include:
1. Save your life
Many serious infections, which can cause long-term illness and even hospitalization, such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, measles, pneumonia or herpes zoster, can be prevented through vaccination and this protection is maintained until adulthood.
And even if the vaccine disease in question does not exist in the region where you live, it is important to have a vaccination, since during each year, several infected people can travel to the region and put other people at risk. Thus, the vaccine is a guarantee that you are always protected.
2. Protect your family and friends
In addition to protecting your health, vaccinations are also important to protect your family, friends and all the people you have a daily relationship with. This is because, being protected against various diseases, it is not possible to develop the infection and thus pass it on to other people.
The more people who are vaccinated against a particular disease, the lower the rate of cases, as well as the transmission of the infection. So, in addition to helping to protect each person from serious illnesses, vaccines also allow you to protect those around you.
3. Control the symptoms of asthma and other chronic diseases
The symptoms of asthma, as well as other chronic diseases of the respiratory system, can be more easily controlled through vaccination, since the protection offered by vaccines prevents the development of serious diseases that can bring complications to the whole organism. In the case of respiratory diseases, one of the most important vaccines is that of the flu, which must be given annually in the autumn or before the winter months. Learn more about the flu vaccine.
The other vaccines, on the other hand, can prevent aggravation of other chronic problems, such as diabetes or heart diseases, for example.
4. Avoid antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most worrisome health problems that arises when taking this type of medication frequently, especially when it is not really needed. When there is resistance it means that the existing antibiotics are no longer able to fight the infection and, therefore, there is a serious health risk.
Thus, by avoiding infections, vaccination also prevents the need to use antibiotics so often, reducing the chances of someone developing antibiotic resistance.
5. Are safe and effective
Despite several controversies, almost all studies with vaccines indicate that side effects are uncommon and that more serious sequelae, such as autism, are extremely rare and are often not even directly linked to the vaccine.
At the same time, there are also studies that show that vaccinated groups develop far less serious illnesses than control groups that do not have vaccinations. Thus, the benefit of vaccines seems to far outweigh possible risks, making them one of the medical products for insurance.
6. Help save money
Although it is not the main advantage of vaccines, through vaccination it is possible to save money on expensive medical treatments and even on hospitalizations that can result from complications of diseases for which vaccines already exist.
In addition, most vaccines are included in the Ministry of Health's vaccination schedule and can be administered completely free of charge. See which vaccines are part of the vaccination schedule.
Who should get vaccinated
For helping to protect against serious illnesses, vaccination should be carried out by the entire general population, starting shortly after birth with the tuberculosis vaccine (BCG) and against hepatitis B. From birth to adulthood, It is important to follow the entire vaccination schedule of the Ministry of Health, and the tetanus vaccine must be repeated every 10 years during adulthood.
Outside the vaccination schedule there are still several cases, especially in adults, which can be done such as vaccination against HPV and flu, for example. Therefore, it is very important to consult with a general practitioner or other health professional at a health center or hospital.
