Vaccines: A victory for all

Without effective treatment, epidemics would be frequent, and society would live in fear of fatal diseases spreading easily.

First immunizers and the first vaccine

The term “vaccine” derives from the Latin word “vacca”, which means cow, in reference to the origin of the immunizer. The discovery paved the way for other vaccines, revolutionizing preventive medicine.

GERM THEORY
He demonstrated that infectious diseases are caused by microscopic organisms. His discovery led to advances in sterilization, hygiene and vaccination.

PASTEURIZATION
Initially used in the dairy industry to prevent disease, it is now a global practice to increase food safety and shelf life.

IMPORTANT VACCINES
He created vaccines for diseases such as rabies and fowl cholera.

SCIENCE IS POWER
Pasteur's work in understanding diseases highlighted the importance of scientific research and the transformative power of science in improving humanity's quality of life.

World population in 1800: 1 billion
World population today: 8 billion


Extraordinary growth with the help of vaccines

- They need the cells of other beings to multiply (intracellular parasites).

- They attach themselves to the surface of the cell, inject their genetic material and take control of it, causing the cell to produce viral copies.

- Over time, the cell breaks down and releases the viral copies into the body.

- The immune response is activated to fight the virus, which can cause symptoms such as fever, malaise, inflammation, among other rarer adverse events.

- Many live in harmony with us, but some can cause diseases.

- They can multiply in different parts of the body, releasing toxins or causing damage directly to cells.

-They can invade deeper tissues and cause serious systemic diseases.

-The immune system responds to the infection in an attempt to destroy the bacteria, causing symptoms such as inflammation, pus at the site of infection and others.

Vaccines can be bacterial, which prevent bacteria, or viral, which prevent viruses. Furthermore, we can classify them according to how infectious agents are present in the formula.

mRNA vaccines can be developed in a much faster process than vaccines using other technologies.

The Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2023 was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for the discoveries that allowed the creation of mRNA vaccines, which are effective and safe against Covid-19.

The National Immunization Program (PNI) was created in 1973 to guarantee the vaccination of all Brazilians.

An extraordinary effort by the federal government, states and municipalities, the PNI involves the production, acquisition, distribution and administration of vaccines throughout the national territory.

Even though the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are proven by science, some people are not convinced and stop seeking vaccination.
The result is countless preventable deaths.

There are people who cannot receive certain vaccines at some point in their lives, whether due to age, health condition or treatment. But this does not mean that vaccination cannot protect them.
The greater the number of people vaccinated, the lower the circulation of viruses and bacteria in the environment, which makes infection more difficult. This is what we call collective immunity!

Measles, which had been eliminated from the country, has returned because of low vaccination coverage. And the same situation could repeat itself with other diseases.
We can't bring back these nightmares from the past.

Go to a health unit or clinic of your choice to update your vaccination schedule.


Share the importance of this care with everyone you love!