Vaccines are designed to prevent various types of diseases including deadly ones. This holds true for the young, especially infants. Without vaccines, it can be difficult for the immune system of these young children to fight off diseases. Here at the offices of Dr. Alan Sheen in Covington and Metairie, LA, you can learn more about immunizations during your consultation with him. In the meantime, learn how vaccines work to protect your child.

How The Body Fights Off Infection

To appreciate how vaccines protect children, we must first understand how a child’s immune system works to fight off infection. The immune system automatically steps in to fight any perceived infectious organism. Proteins known as antibodies are immediately produced by the white blood cells to seek out the infection and counter it. The infection usually gets the upper hand at first because it initiates the attack.

The immune system reacts only once the attack starts or when symptoms of illness start to manifest. The antibodies will eventually overpower the infection and terminate it. However, the antibodies will not die but rather remain in the bloodstream on guard for similar infections. In case the infection returns, the antibodies are ready to fight it off at once.

Accordingly, some diseases do not recur in your body because the antibodies are already active. The thing to understand with antibodies is that they are created to respond to a specific infection. There are also antibodies that are not specific to a certain infection, but rather to a type of bacteria.

Vaccination Schedule

Now that you have a better understanding of how vaccines work to protect your child, it is easier to appreciate the need to maintain vaccination schedules. Sometimes vaccines can take weeks to boost the protective mechanism of children and there are vaccines that need to be administered in separate doses. Essentially, maintaining the immunizations schedule means preparing your child against infection even before it happens. So make sure to come into our Covington or Metairie, LA, office as per your child’s immunization schedule.

Have Any Questions or Concerns About Immunizations?

Schedule your appointment with Dr. Alan Sheen by calling our Metairie, LA, office at (504) 456-1999 or Covington, LA, office at (985) 246-6077.