G07: Biology Cells: Vaccines

Vaccines are like a training course for the immune system. They prepare the body to fight disease without exposing it to disease symptoms.

Incredibly, vaccines have become a hot-button issue in today’s world. Some parents are convinced that the side effects are so serious that they refuse to have their children vaccinated. They are ignoring the science and the stories of families, like mine, who once prayed that a specific remedy would be available for public use.

Edward Jenner’s innovations, begun with his successful 1796 use of cowpox material to create immunity to smallpox, quickly made the practice widespread. His method underwent medical and technological changes over the next 200 years, and eventually resulted in the eradication of smallpox.