Why Do Vaccines Sometimes Lead to the Diseases They’re Meant to Prevent?
The Vaccine-Associated Illness
People have long hailed vaccines as one of humanity’s most significant medical achievements. However, vaccines can sometimes trigger the diseases they aim to prevent. This causes unease and confusion among many.
Vaccines train the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens.
They contain antigens.
Antigens are parts of the pathogen, like proteins or weakened forms of the virus or bacteria. When they enter the body, these antigens stimulate the immune system. This makes it produce antibodies but does not cause a whole disease.
Live-attenuated vaccines contain weakened forms of the pathogen.
Well, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and oral polio (OPV) vaccines exist. These vaccines can change to a harmful form, especially in people with weak immune systems.
Inactivated vaccines kill pathogens. They are safer but may require many doses to achieve complete immunity. The flu shot is a common inactivated vaccine.
Subunit, recombinant, and conjugate vaccines use specific pieces of the pathogen. These are less likely to cause side effects. But they can sometimes trigger an immune response that mimics disease.
mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, use a new method. They introduce a small piece of genetic material to tell cells to produce a protein. This protein triggers an immune response.
Live-attenuated vaccines are particularly effective because they mimic a natural infection. In rare cases, the weakened virus can mutate back to a more virulent form. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) has documented this phenomenon. It’s reduced polio globally. But the vaccine virus can rarely spread in groups with low immunization. It can cause paralysis.
Vaccines aim to trigger an immune response, which occasionally manifests as disease-like symptoms.
The MMR vaccine can cause a mild rash and fever resembling a measles infection. This isn’t the disease but rather a sign that the immune system is reacting to the vaccine as intended.
Vaccine recipients unintentionally contract the virus. The vaccine can’t prevent the disease in these cases, as the infection has already taken hold.
Flu symptoms take days to appear, and it’s taken about two weeks to work.
Vaccines may not always provide complete immunity. Yes, it’s true! Been tricked, yeah!
The pertussis vaccine can reduce the disease’s severity. But it cannot entirely prevent infection in some cases. This partial immunity can lead to milder but still noticeable symptoms.
The OPV case is an example.
It has nearly eradicated polio, but rare VDPV cases have emerged. In areas with few vaccinated people, the weakened virus in the OPV can spread. It can change and sometimes cause outbreaks. In many countries, they switch to the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to reduce this risk. However, IPV is less effective at stopping the spread of people-to-person.
In the Philippines, the rollout of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was viral. Clinical trials showed that Dengvaxia protects against dengue. It works for those who were previously infected, but it risks severe disease for those who were not.
Miscommunication and lack of screening caused a public outcry. This led to a drop in vaccine confidence.
Do you remember the COVID-19?
mRNA vaccines have been linked to rare cases of myocarditis. Yes, it is from the young males. This side effect involving heart muscle inflammation has caused concern despite being rare.
Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant public health challenge. I did not even participate the 1st booster and 2nd vaccine. Haha. Did you?
Misinformation and a lack of understanding contribute to fear and skepticism about vaccines.
I think the solution is to provide clear, accurate information and address concerns transparently. I really do not like Fake News on social media sites.
Vaccines remain one of our most powerful tools for combating infectious diseases. While they are not without risks, the benefits outweigh the potential downsides. Ongoing research and innovation continue to improve vaccine safety and efficacy.
Strengthening global immunization programs is critical to preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Fair vaccine access is moral and vital for public health, especially in poor countries.
Thanks for taking the time to read. I’d like to hear your perspective.
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