How do Vaccines Work?

Vaccines

Vaccines can be made in different ways. They can be;

• Part of a bacteria or virus (as in the diagram)

• A dead bacteria or virus

• A non-infectious bacteria or virus with the same antigen

• A toxin of the bacteria

Key Words

• Antigen

• Antibody

• Vaccination

• Immunity

MMR jabs

started

…increased 2 years after the MMR jab started.

MMR jabs

started

MMR jabs

stopped

MMR jabs have little effect on the number of cases of autism

?

Some more to think about

• Its been a long time since the last epidemic of these diseases in the UK and resistance in the population will be low

• If lots of children are vaccinated, there is less chance of an epidemic starting

• Measles can result in a child becoming permanently deaf

Some more to think about

• If a women catches rubella in the early months of pregnancy the baby may be born deaf and blind.

• These diseases are not normally serious and are just a minor inconvenience

• Mumps can make men sterile

• The injection might hurt a bit

Web Links• This New Scientist article reports the findings

of the Japanese study.

• BBC News - The MMR/Autism debate

• NHS – MMR the Facts website

• The National Autistic Society