Basic Steps for Preventing Viral Infection
-
Rest a body that is well rested will do a better job of fighting infections.
- Vaccination get all required vaccinations to prevent viral infections.
- Balanced diet eating a balanced diet will provide our body with the proper nutrition to fight infection.
- Exercise exercise makes the body stronger, increases the energy level, and reduces stress. All three things help fight infections.
- Stress stressed people are more prone to having infections.
- Wash hands washing hands and keeping a good hygiene will help decrease chances of being infected.
- Isolate sick people contagious infections can be spread from person to person.
- Safe sex safe sex is the best way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
- Dont smoke smoking increases chances of lung infection.
Prevention Using Vaccines
When we are infected with a disease, the immune system responds by making certain antibodies specific to the antigens made by that disease making organism. The immune system then makes memory cells that stay in the bloodstream which prevents the disease from occurring again. Without making us sick, a vaccine is created to make this kind of response so the body can fight off certain diseases automatically.
Examples of viral infections that can be prevented by vaccination include: anthrax, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, influenza, mumps, polio, rabies, and yellow fever.
Different types of vaccine include:
Killed/inactive vaccines the disease causing organism is killed and then injected into the body. This type of vaccine cannot cause disease, but is considered to be weak. This type of vaccine may have to be taken more then once to ensure the vaccine continues to work.
Acellular vaccines this type of vaccine is composed only of part of the organism that makes antigens. Like the killed vaccines, this type is considered to be safe, but more then one shot may be required.
Attenuated vaccines this method weakens a live organism by aging it or altering its growth conditions. Vaccines of this type are the most successful because they can trigger a large immune response. This also means that this type of vaccine is risky as it can cause disease.
Toxoids this type of vaccine is made from poisons (also known as toxins) secreted by disease causing organisms. The toxins used are chemically treated to decrease harmful effects.
Subunit vaccines a vaccine which uses only the parts of an organism to stimulate a strong immune response. The disease-causing genes are separated and purified to be used in a vaccine. This is a safe vaccine as it cant cause disease.
Conjugated vaccines vaccine made of two or more other kinds of vaccine.
