Vaksinim

Vaksinim is a term referring to vaccines, which are biological preparations that provide active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles the disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. This agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and keep a record of it. Should the vaccinated person later encounter the actual disease-causing microorganism, the immune system will be prepared to recognize and destroy it quickly.

The development of vaccines has been a cornerstone of public health, leading to the eradication or significant reduction of many devastating diseases such as smallpox, polio, measles, and diphtheria. Vaccines work by priming the immune system without causing the illness itself. This process is called immunization. The effectiveness and safety of vaccines are rigorously tested through clinical trials before they are approved for public use, and their ongoing safety is monitored by public health organizations. Different types of vaccines exist, including live-attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, toxoid vaccines, and subunit vaccines, each utilizing different mechanisms to induce immunity. Global vaccination campaigns continue to be a vital strategy in preventing disease outbreaks and protecting populations worldwide.