Five Reasons Immunizations Are Important

Did you know that vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health tools to be invented? There are many vaccines, and it is amazing what they prevent and protect us from. It is astounding that a simple needle prick or swallowing of a few oral droplets could save so many lives. It can really blow your mind.

Five Reasons Immunizations Are Important

As time goes on there is more and more research and more vaccines that have been created to help prevent certain diseases. And just to think that it all started with the creation of a vaccine for smallpox in 1796. Honestly, we have come a long way since then. But do you know the importance of vaccines? Here are 5 reasons why immunizations are important:

1. Protects against serious diseases – Vaccines help the body learn how to fight off specific diseases without the dangers of a full-blown infection. They can prevent common diseases that used to seriously harm or even kill infants, children, and adults. Without vaccines, individuals are at risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying from diseases like measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough. Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely and other are close to extinction because of safe and effective vaccines (CDC, 2024).
2. Strengthens the immune system – Vaccines teach the body’s immune system how to create antibodies that protect against specific diseases. This process is much safer than getting the disease itself and recovering. Once the immune system knows how to fight a disease, it can often provide lifelong protection (National Health Service, 2023).
3. Fosters herd immunity – When a large portion of the population is vaccinated, it creates herd immunity, which protects those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons or age. This is particularly important for vulnerable populations, such as infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. By vaccinating most people, we can protect our entire community from diseases (Immunity Community, 2025).
4. Reduces the spread of diseases – Vaccines not only protect the vaccinated individual but also helps prevent the spread of disease to others. When people in a population are vaccinated against an infectious disease, it becomes much less likely to
   spread from person to person. This protects against outbreaks of disease and, when enough people become immune, can enable community immunity or herd immunity (European Vaccination Information Portal, 2025).
5. Saves lives and reduces healthcare cost – Vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and disability and have saved millions of lives. By preventing episodes of  vaccine preventable diseases, vaccination can also help avert associated out-of-pocket medical expenses, healthcare provider costs, and losses in wages of patients and caregivers (National Institute of
   Health, 2020).

It is much safer for your immune system to learn how to create antibodies that protect you from disease, than by catching the diseases and treating them. Once your immune system knows how to fight a disease, it can often give you lifelong protection (National Health Service, 2023).

Vaccination Safety

Vaccines can sometimes seem scary, especially if you do not know much about them. According to the World Health Organization, most childhood vaccines have been in use for decades, with millions of people receiving them safely every year, routinely, or in response to specific disease threats. Before any vaccine is introduced into a country, the vaccine developed in the laboratory undergoes rigorous and stringent testing through multiple phases of clinical trials. This is when health authorities carefully evaluate the results of these trials to help ensure that the vaccine meets the highest safety and efficacy standards before being considered suitable for use. Once they are introduced, they are continuously monitored by national health authorities to detect and immediately respond to potential concerns. If for any reason that there is an adverse reaction or event, an independent group of experts will assess whether the event is related to vaccines.

Side Effects of Vaccines

Vaccines are considered relatively safe, but like any medicine, they can cause side effects. The side effects usually are very minor and have a short duration. Serious side effects are always possible, but extremely rare according to the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization states, “a person is far more likely to
be seriously harmed by a disease than by a vaccine.” The most common side effects include:

• Insertion site of the vaccine looks red, swollen, and feeling a bit sore for 2-3 days.
• Feeling a bit unwell or developing a high temperature for 1-2 days.
• Older children and adults may feel faint.
• Feeling tired, having a headache, mild fever, or flu-like symptoms.

The CDC and FDA (Food Drug Authority) developed The Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) in 1990 (historyofvaccines.org, 2025). The VAERS is used to detect possible signs of adverse effects associated with a vaccine. Approximately 30,000 events are reported in a year to VAERS. Between 10-15% of the reported events describe serious medical events that lead to hospitalization, life-threatening illness, disability, or death (historyofvaccines.org, 2025).

Ten Most Common Immunizations

The ten most common immunizations worldwide include
vaccines for:

1. Tuberculosis – A widely used and effective vaccine, especially in countries with high TB prevalence.
2. Tetanus – Crucial part of childhood and adult immunization schedules, protecting against the potentially fatal disease.
3. Polio – These vaccines, particularly the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), are vital for preventing polio, a disease that can
   cause paralysis.
4. Hepatitis B – Recommended for all infants and children, as well as at-risk adults, to prevent chronic liver disease and liver
   cancer.
5. Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) – Protects against three highly contagious viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella.
6. Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP or DTP) – Combination vaccine that protects against three bacterial diseases diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
7. Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) – Protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b, a bacterium that can cause serious infections like meningitis and epiglottitis.
8. Rotavirus – Recommended for infants to prevent severe diarrhea caused by the rotavirus.
9. Pneumococcal – Protect against pneumococcal diseases, which can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis.
10. Influenza (Flu) – Recommended for all individuals aged 6 months and older to protect against seasonal flu.

Conclusion

There are a lot of vaccines that are recommended from birth all the way to adulthood. It is hard to keep track sometimes. You can eliminate this by consulting with your provider and setting up a vaccination schedule that will outline when you are to have a vaccine, especially when it comes to kiddos. There are some side effects related to vaccines, but the side effects never last too long and are mild in reaction. It is recommended that everyone receive all their immunizations, but remember, you are the one calling the shots.