Vaccine. A word that everyone who was around between the years of 2020 and now has been constantly acquainted with. From children to the elderly, getting a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is an event that they have in common. But how did a vaccine manage to substantially reshape the course of the pandemic and ultimately save tens of millions of lives?
To begin to answer this question, we need to take a dive into our body's immune system: an assembly of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend itself from toxic germs and diseases. Bacteria, viruses, and germs infect the body by attacking and multiplying, this infection causes the diseases that make you sick. The immune system “sounds the alarm” to fight back by releasing antibodies that act as soldiers to fight off specific germs. This way, if an infection or disease were to return, the body has the upper hand and has the “cheat sheet” to fight back.
If we already have an immune system that is fighting back, why do we need vaccines? Vaccines act as a ‘trial game' that the immune system can use to get the skills it needs to fight without having to deal with the side effects of the disease. Vaccines work by mimicking an infection by using small and weak germs to engage the body's natural defenses.
Based on an official reported COVID-19 Deaths, vaccines prevented an estimated 14.4 million deaths in 185 countries and territories between Dec 8, 2020, the first time administered, and Dec 8, 2021. With constant improvement and research by thousands of scientists, this vaccine managed to relieve the world of its 4-year COVID-19 virus.
Commentaires