Development of Vaccinations: Within Child Medicine

Within the world of medicine, the search for vaccines has been on the forefront of the battle against a number of diseases that plagued humanity for centuries. Vaccines serve their purpose by preparing populations for the occurrence of certain diseases by introducing weakened or harmless forms of a virus in order for the body to acquire an immunity against its effects. Regardless of the era, vaccines remain a key part of public health, although there has been significant detraction from the ideas of vaccination due to perceived consequences of universally mandated vaccinations for children.

Originally discovered against the smallpox virus, vaccinations significantly reduced the impact that diseases have on the population. Throughout human history, viruses such as smallpox, polio, and others have ravaged human populations; smallpox in particular was responsible for a large percentage of world deaths before the discovery of an effective vaccine, with around 8%-20% of all deaths related to the virus. However, the first full-scale vaccine campaign did not occur until in 1796 in France, where it was discovered that exposure to a weaker or highly related form of the virus would dramatically reduce infection rates due to build up immunity.

In the modern day, there has been significant controversy regarding vaccination, as several studies have demonstrated a tenuous link to the increased instance of autism within young children. Although studies have refuted this link, the widespread fear that this has caused within parents has left a significant portion of the population exposed to diseases that have not been seen in the United States for decades. Ultimately, vaccinations continue to be a critical part of a nation’s public health strategy, and medical researchers continue to focus on viruses such as AIDS and Avian Flu in the hopes of developing effective and long-lasting vaccinations for these diseases.

Process

There are a number of steps to the development of a vaccine, and these steps must be adhered to for an effective vaccine to be discovered and deployed. While all vaccines have the same goal of creating a weakened version of a specific virus or bacteria, there are a number of strategies that can be undertaken. Regardless of the methods used, vaccines are designed for the patient to develop an immune response without the onset of symptoms. However, various methodologies involve different levels of risks, as some forms of vaccines have the ability of transmitting the disease in question; this occurs especially if the individual receiving the vaccine maintains a low immune system.

Weakening

One of the most effective strategies to developing a vaccine is to create a version of a virus that reproduces poorly within the body. Although the virus is wholly introduced into the body, there is no symptom response as the virus is unable to properly propagate, which allows the body’s immune response to properly take care of the infection. The low rate of reproduction causes memory cells in the immune system to develop a long-term protection against the infection, often with lifetime immunity provided in one or two doses.

Inactivating

Another common strategy is to inactive the virus with the use of a chemical. Through these means, the virus is unable to reproduce itself or cause symptoms within the individual. However, since the body still identifies the virus as a hostile intruder, the body is able to create an immune response that effectively protects against potent versions of the virus. Furthermore, since the virus is wholly inactivated, any vaccination is unable to cause symptoms within individuals with compromised immune systems; this is a significant deterrent for individuals with cancer or AIDS that require protection against a number of diseases. One downside of this method is that it requires multiple doses for full protection to be achieved.

Part Use

When neither strategy is feasible, the use of a part of a bacteria or virus is effective in creating an effective immune response within an individual. These types of vaccine focus on the protein coating of a virus or bacteria, and by introducing this protein into the body in an inactive form, the immune system can achieve an effectiveness in combating these infections.

Development and Deployment

In order for vaccines to be effective, they must be developed and deployed in a number of phases. This involves determining the quantity, dosage, and protection levels of the vaccine in question in order to optimize the effectiveness. The first phase of the process involves the testing of safety and effectiveness within humans. This is done by conducting studies with healthy adults at low risk, which allows researchers to determine effectiveness without creating undue liability. Typically, such studies involve a small number of participants and are the precursor to larger studies.

The second and third phase of the process involves the conduction of larger and larger studies to determine effectiveness. At this point, researchers are primarily focused on testing the vaccine against large groups of different demographics. If the vaccine is still able to demonstrate an effectiveness despite demographic and geographical variables, then the results are submitted to regulatory bodies that decide whether the vaccine is available for release to the general population.

Even if the vaccine is successful, monitoring and studies continue after regulatory approval in order to determine that there are no long-term side effects and to check for the occurrence of rare side effects that may not have manifested themselves in previous studies. If successful, the vaccine will remain freely available on the market. If not, then the vaccine will be pulled from the market pending regulatory review.

Ultimately, vaccines are the first line of defense against a large-scale contagion infecting a population. Through their use, nations and societies have been able to significantly reduce deaths that resulted from a number of diseases that have plagued human society for centuries. Although there has been controversy regarding their use, vaccines remain critical to public health and serve as an effective template for future disease prevention.

By following strict procedures and methods for development, researchers are able to derive vaccines for a number of diseases, which have significantly improved the quality of life for a number of regions. Furthermore, effective vaccination can eliminate entire disease lines, as has been seen by smallpox. Currently, efforts to vaccinate against polio have ensured that the disease will be entirely eliminated within the next decade. As well as these diseases, researchers have made tremendous strides in creating an effective vaccine against the AIDS virus, which has plagued a number of developing and developed nations.