Why Does Each Age Groups Receive Different Vaccine Doses?

It is natural for humans to be born with a lot of vulnerability. To overcome all of these challenges presented by the environment and other extreme factors, a child needs to cope and adapt to the transitions that will take place alongside their growth and development. Skills such as walking and talking are accumulated in long-term learning.

Like the physical and mental developments, the immune system in humans is also learning to defend the body against numerous infections. Immune systems do not learn their functions in just a blink of an eye but instead are honed through a painstaking and lengthy process.

Development of Immune System is Needed to Create Vaccines

The development of the immune system is distinct in each person. Because of this, experts study the immune response continuously to identify and match the required functions of a vaccine to the evolving human species. According to a report by The Conversation, the examination of vaccines is essential to know the different reactions and side effects brought by treatment to the different age groups that are targeted to receive the dosage.

The pandemic pushed many experts to conduct an analysis on vaccines to meet the standard dosage for various ages including 5 to 11 and 12 to 16 years old. In this approach, researchers will be able to formulate a specialized vaccine that is fit for the protection of kids and to minimize the infliction of side effects they will experience. All of the findings would not be complete without the collective data on the immune system of the children and how strong it is compared to adults.

The immune system starts its maturing development in just a short time after the birth of a person. The initial factors of the immune system in a child come directly from the protection that manifested during gestation, which is the breast milk and the placenta that covers the embryo. These first few immune protection are also known as passive immunity.

On the other hand, the actual and personal antibodies that the immune system produces during the growth of a child, called the adaptive immune system, are not yet at play. In just a short matter of time, this aspect will materialize, but it will take years before the fully-strengthened immune system reaches its full maturity.

Vaccines Teach and Help the Immune System Recall a Threat

The innate immune system, according to a Scientific American report, is different among the group of protection. In this field, the immunity that the specified system provides is present throughout the lifetime of a person. The innate immune system does not require any learnings to be active against the threats of infections.

The lack or absence of this immune system could lead to a faster impact of health risks. Considering that the innate immune system is present literally on the skin of a person, it is safe to say that it is the first responder of the body. The adaptive immune system will assist afterward if the job is too much for the innate immune system.

Vaccines help and teach the adaptive immunity to respond to a specific disease. Through immunizing a body, the immune system will learn to produce specialized antibodies against a foreign intruder. It can learn or recall a structure of disease whenever needed for a response. Creating vaccines for various age groups requires an intensive analysis of which aspects of the immune system are fully up and running and which are still under maturity development.

Check out more news and information on Medicine and Health in Science Times.