10:00 Dose of Vaccinology: What a Vaccine is, and is Not

What Vaccines Are:
Back to basics, for a start!  Vaccines are, in brief, preventative measures.  They expose your immune system to levels of certain disease-causing agents (pathogens) that will create "protective immunity"; in other words, a response that will be able to prevent an immunocompetent (ie, "healthy") individual from becoming infected.  These can be made of dead pathogens, purified (and inactivated) parts of pathogens, or live but very, very weak pathogens.  They are one of, if not THE, most successful health interventions in human history.  They are still necessary (more on this later today).  They are effective at preventing disease.  They are critical to world health.

What Vaccines are Not:
(detailed posts on some of these later today)
Vaccines are not treatments.  They are preventions.  They must be administered prior to disease threats to be effective (with a single quasi-exception).  Vaccines are not poisonous.  Vaccines are not dangerous.  Vaccines are not "overwhelming to the immune system" (honestly...has you kid ever stuck their hand on a sticky railing at Disney World and then eaten with it?  FAR more immunostimulatory, I promise).  

Let's start today with these basics in mind.  See you at 11!