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Children are susceptible to dangerous diseases such as
Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus to name a few. Polio can
cripple the child for life. It is very important to immunize
babies against these diseases. Fortunately, we can keep
children immune to many diseases, even after they lose their
mothers' antibodies. We do this by vaccinating them against
those diseases.
It
is very interesting to note how immunizations work. The
germs that actually cause disease are made into vaccines.
These vaccines are mild and do not have the potency to cause
the full-blown disease. These vaccines can be given to
children as shots or as drops to be swallowed. Since these
vaccines contain the actual disease causing germs they fool
the body into thinking it is under attack by disease.
The
body immediately reacts by producing antibodies to fight
these germs. These antibodies then stay in the body. Then,
if the child is exposed to the actual disease, the
antibodies already present fight the actual disease causing
germs and the child is thus protected.
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