Derrick Williams, DO, family medicine physician at CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Primary Care in Berea, explained the benefits of vaccines.
1. It teaches your body how to handle illness.
“Vaccines work because our immune systems work,” Dr. Williams said. “They both cause the body to create an immune response to the virus or bacteria. Our bodies are very good at remembering, so the next time you’re exposed to that bacteria or virus, you will already have antibodies for it.”
2. The side effects, if any, you may experience after being vaccinated are minor and mean the vaccine is working.
“Sometimes, for example, people feel flu-like symptoms after receiving the flu vaccine,” Dr. Williams said. “Vaccines prompt an immune system reaction, so your body will know what to do if you come into contact with a full-strength flu virus. They decrease the severity of your reaction to the virus or bacteria you get.”
3. Your friends and family will benefit, too.
“If the majority of people are vaccinated against a disease, others will have some form of immunity because that disease isn’t going to be able to spread as easily,” Dr. Williams said. “Vaccines are the biggest way we can reduce infectious disease rates, and it’s one of the most important things we can do for the health of ourselves and our children.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2020 edition of Spirit of Health. For more stories like this one, subscribe to Spirit of Health magazine today.
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