Vaccines have always been a very important part of human existence. A lot of people don't understand the benefits of vaccination and because of this refuse to get their shots. Vaccines help slow down the spread of deadly, dangerous and contagious diseases. The first vaccine ever developed was the smallpox vaccine. Before the development of the vaccine, smallpox had killed over 400 million people in the last century alone. 

Thanks to scientific developments the disease has been totally eradicated from the world. This is the power of vaccination and a lot more diseases are on their way to extinction because of vaccines. For same-day general vaccinations, like flu shots, visit AFC Urgent Care Stoneham today.

How Vaccines Work

The main aim of vaccination is to build up the body's immunity before it gets hit with a disease. By doing this it prevents the recipient from contracting the virus and spreading it to others.

For most vaccines, a less powerful variant of the disease is injected into the bloodstream. The body's defense mechanism then fights off the weak germ with the help of antibodies. These antibodies remain in the system for a long time and will help fight the disease again without you being infected.

Illnesses such as a cold or flu can be treated with over the counter medication but for some more serious diseases like Polio and COVID, it is important to get vaccinated as over the counter medication won't do the job.

Vaccines for Different Age Groups

Different vaccines are given at different age grades. Some vaccines are only effective for children while others only work for adults.

For children (birth to 18 months)

• Hepatitis B
• Rotavirus
• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis
• Haemophilus influenzae type b
• Pneumococcal conjugate
• Inactivated poliovirus
• COVID-19
• Influenza
• Human papillomavirus
• Dengue

For Adults

• Shingles
• Pneumococcal vaccine
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia

Most of the vaccines listed for children can still be gotten during adulthood but chances are, the person will likely get infected by one of these diseases before then. These vaccines also help provide herd immunity. The whole concept of herd immunity is that if a lot of people are vaccinated, then it slows down the spread of the virus. In an area where there is herd immunity the virus will find itself extinct before long because it will run out of hosts to infect.

Visit AFC Urgent Care Stoneham for General Vaccines

Not getting vaccinated has led to a lot of avoidable deaths. Misinformation can be pinpointed as the main culprit. Vaccines won't do more harm than good, they won't kill you, all they will do is give you better odds in a world full of various disease causing organisms. Now that we're in the aftermath of the pandemic a lot of places including airports, restaurants, bars and shopping complexes have put guidelines in place to refuse access to unvaccinated individuals. 

Don't wait until it's too late and the damage has already been done. Visit AFC Urgent Care Stoneham with the rest of your family for the necessary vaccine shots.