vakcinán

Vakcinán is a term of Hungarian origin that translates to "vaccine" in English. It refers to a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. Typically, a vaccine contains an agent that resembles the disease-causing microorganism, and is often made up of 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, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.

The development of vaccines has been a cornerstone of modern public health, significantly reducing the incidence of many serious and life-threatening diseases. Examples include smallpox, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus. The concept of vaccination originated in the late 18th century with Edward Jenner's work on smallpox, and has since evolved with advancements in biotechnology and immunology. Vaccines are administered through various routes, most commonly injection, but also orally or nasally. The effectiveness and safety of vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored by health authorities worldwide. Public vaccination programs are a key strategy in preventing outbreaks and achieving herd immunity, where a sufficient percentage of the population is immune, thereby protecting those who are not immune.