What Is Immunization

Immunization is the process in which a person gets immunized or made resistant to an infectious disease by simply administering a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate our body’s immune system to protect us against subsequent infectious diseases.

Immunization is a medium in which we control and eliminate life-threatening diseases. Immunization has been estimated to avert over 2 million deaths each year. Its accessibility is obtainable even in urban areas where there are vulnerable populations and has been effectively administered through programs organized by the government.

What Is the Function Of the Immune System

Immunization stimulates the body’s immune system. The function of the immune system is to help our body fight against diseases by producing substances that combat them. The immune system keeps a record of the diseases for subsequent attacks.

Vaccines

A typical Vaccine contains either a dead/weakened virus or bacteria that becomes active when given to a healthy person, the vaccine then stimulates the immune system to respond and build immunity to protect the body against that disease.

Immunity

Immunity is a natural defense mechanism of the body to fight against antigens. Antibodies are part of the body’s natural defense mechanism to combat diseases when the need arises. As you fall sick, your body makes antibodies to combat the disease at that time. These antibodies stay in your body even after the disease is gone to protect you against subsequent diseases.

How Immunization Works

Immunization works by inducing a vaccine through injections or orally into the body that triggers an immune response. That is, these vaccines contain weakened or inactive viruses or bacteria (antigens) that cause that disease, and their presence triggers an immune response within the body. Just as though the person had been exposed to that disease.

Importance of Immunization

There are no consequences attached to be immunized without illness. Once you are immunized, specific immune cells called memory cells take a record of the infection and further prevent re-infection when they encounter such diseases again in the future.

• Immunization provides long-lasting protection against diseases.
• With immunization, major life-threatening diseases are preventable.
• Shingles disease, measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough) in adults are prevented through immunization.
• Immunization is the only way to prevent childhood morbidity and mortality such as Tuberculosis, Poliomyelitis (Polio), Diphtheria, etc.

Difference Between Immunization And Vaccination

Vaccination is the process of administering (either by injection or shots) a vaccine into your body. While immunization is what happens after you have the vaccination in your body. The introduced vaccine helps your immune system get stimulated against potential infectious diseases after you have become immune to the infection.

Supplement Immunization

National Immunization Days are the days to eradicate diseases, while the Supplement Immunization is intended to supplement the days after the National Immunization Days for total eradication. The idea is to catch up with the children/adults who were not immunized, or partially immunized.

Routine/Schedule Immunization Of Children In Nigeria

• BCG (Bacilli Calmette Guerin): This is taken at birth or as soon as possible after birth.
• OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine): This is given at birth and at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.
• DPT (Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus): This is given at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.
• Hepatitis B: This is given at birth, 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.
• Measles: This is given at 9 months of age.
• Yellow Fever: This is given at 9 months of age.
• Vitamin A: This is given at 9 months and 15 months of age.

Factors Affecting Immunization In Nigeria

• Religious influence
• Inadequate Equipments
• Misinterpretation of immunization
• Rejection of immunized caused by illiteracy.
• Inadequate Awareness.
• Shortage of vaccines and immunization supplies.
• Poor payments of immunization officers.
• Political manipulations
• Low self esteem of the officers
• Lack of mobility
• Lack of proper orientation