Centuries-Old Hack That Still Works in Boosting Immune System

A health hack has been used for centuries to boost immunity; it still works today.

Century-Old Hack For Immunity

There are several ways to protect oneself from illness, including a healthy diet, enough sleep, exercise, and dietary supplements. However, one of the most effective and safest ways is vaccination.

According to Aimee Pugh Bernard, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and David Higgins, Research fellow, and instructor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, nothing can replace vaccinations when it comes to strengthening your immune system and improving overall health. Being vaccinated is an essential component of leading the healthiest lifestyle possible.

Some healthy persons believe they don't require vaccinations. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle alone won't be enough to keep your immune system strong when vaccine-preventable diseases affect you.

Consider the immune system's cells as Olympic competitors training for the games. Immune cells must be primed and prepared to fend off each pathogenic challenge you face, much as athletes go through extensive and specific training to meet every difficulty they might experience in their event.

Vaccines expose your immune system to inactivated forms of pathogens, giving your cells practice in identifying and quickly eliminating the true threat.

Having a vaccination guarantees that your immune system will function at its best when the virus arises. In the same way that skilled sportsmen face competition with confidence and expertise, immune cells that have received vaccinations may quickly and efficiently shield your body from illness.

If an unvaccinated person is exposed to a sickness they have never had before, their immune cells are ill-prepared and have to catch up with the pathogen. Thus, their body is now more susceptible to serious illness.

Even those in the best health may needlessly suffer from diseases that vaccination can prevent because their immune systems may not have been properly trained.

However, this might not be easy because some don't believe in vaccines. One study said parental refusal of vaccines is a growing concern. Some parents reportedly refuse, delay, or are hesitant to give their children vaccines due to grounds relating to religion, individual convictions or philosophy, safety concerns, and a need for additional details from medical professionals.

The researchers believe parents should be provided with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their children's vaccinations. Thus, education is essential.

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Diseases That Can Be Prevented With Vaccines

Vaccines have proven their effectiveness in battling certain diseases like polio. Polio was one of the most dreaded diseases in industrialized nations at the beginning of the 20th century because it could paralyze hundreds of thousands of children annually. However, polio was controlled and nearly eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s following the development of effective vaccines.

As part of the series of recommended childhood immunizations, the CDC advises that all children receive the polio vaccine to prevent polio, also known as poliomyelitis. Since 2000, the sole polio vaccine administered in the US has been inactivated (IPV).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a federal agency that conducts and supports health promotion, prevention, and preparedness activities in the United States, has listed several preventable diseases with vaccines.