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