Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Vaccine Immunity vs. Natural Immunity

I received a question about whether it is better to get sick with something and gain immunity that way ("natural" immunity) or is it better to get vaccinated. I think this is a very good question and the answer all depends on how you look at it.

We build up immunity by being exposed to something "foreign." Our immune system recognizes this "foreign" or non-self cell and then attacks. A few days into the process, antibodies that are specific to that attack are made. This process is actually really cool, but it would take a lot to explain so I am not going to go into detail about how it happens. The bigger the attack, the bigger your bodies' immune response. Generally the bigger the response, the better immunity you will have to it later.

This process is the same whether you are vaccinated or acquire it by actually getting sick. The difference is in your immune response. The goal of vaccines is to get enough of an immune response to where you gain immunity without actually getting sick. The problem is because your bodies' immune response is not as big, this immunity does not last as long. This is why we have to have booster shots and get the flu shot every year.

Usually when we acquire this immunity by actually getting sick, the resulting immunity lasts for life. This is why H1N1 is not a problem for most individuals over 60. They were exposed to a similar virus when they were children. This immunity has lasted their lifetime. If they had received a vaccine instead of getting sick, they would not still have this immunity and they would be susceptible to it now. For this reason it is better to acquire immunity naturally.

On the other hand, for some people, it is not safe for them to get sick. Some peoples' immune systems are not strong enough to fight this big attack and they can die. Even in healthy individuals there is also a risk for secondary infections (sinus infections, pneumonia, etc.). For this reason, it is better to acquire immunity by vaccination.

Also in the case of the flu, there are many different strains. Each year, experts predict which 3 strains they believe will be the most prevalent and they create a vaccine against these strains. That means that first of all, even if you do receive a flu shot, there is still a chance that you can get another strain of the flu. Secondly, if you do not get the flu shot and you get sick with the flu, you only gain lasting immunity to that specific strain. You are still susceptible to the other strains. This is another reason, why we have to get flu shots every year, these prevalent strains can change.

So there are good and bad in both. Your decision should be based on what you want for your family. For me, I have chosen for my daughter to have all of her childhood vaccinations. Many of these diseases can be life-threatening and I don't think it is worth the risk. Last year, I did have her vaccinated for the flu. At this time she was about 9 months old. Her immune system was still developing and she was at higher risk from complications from the flu. Now that she is older and her immune system is stronger, I am not giving her the flu shot anymore. She has no underlying health conditions (like asthma, diabetes, etc.) so for her to get the flu now would not be a big deal. If I were due to have a baby during the flu season, I would have her vaccinated, as well as myself and my husband, so that we would not risk exposing a newborn. I am not really due until May, after the flu season is over so we are not worried about that. This is what my husband and I have decided is best for our family. 

You must decide what is best for your family.

2 comments:

  1. I hope you're planning on doing lots of posts, because I'm really liking getting your perspective on things!!

    What's your opinion on overusing antibacterial products?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the response! Very interesting and informative.

    ReplyDelete