Video Series: How Does Immunisation Work?
Immunisation is explained in these great videos from the Ministry of Health
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Introduction to how immunisation works
Viewing time: 24 seconds
What you will learn:
- Immunisation is a simple and effective way to prevent you and your family from contracting some serious diseases.
- By choosing to immunise, you are giving your child the best start to a healthy future
- You are also helping your community by reducing the spread of disease
How your immune system works
Viewing time: 52 seconds
What you will learn:
- Dr Bird explains that germs can make you very sick
- Your immune system fights off germs by producing antibodies
- It does this the first time it meets a new germ – but this can take a while
- These antibodies are why you very rarely get the same disease twice
How immunisation works
Viewing time: 42 seconds
What you will learn:
- Immunisation gives your body a chance to produce these antibodies by exposing you to a much-weakened strain of the germ
- You may get a fever and this is normal
- Your body will now be able to fight off disease as it has made the antibodies to combat it
Community immunity
Viewing time: 1m 24s
What you will learn:
- The best way to prevent disease is not coming in to contact with it in the first place
- The more people who are immunised, the better
- Some groups, like very young people or cancer patients, are extremely vulnerable to diseases
- We can protect them and ourselves by immunising our families
- Measles or whooping cough can spread rapidly and lead to an outbreak
- Community immunity benefits our whole country
The importance of immunising on time
Viewing time: 55 seconds
What you will learn:
- The New Zealand Immunisation Schedule can show you when you or your family will need vaccinations
- Pregnant women need the flu vaccine
- Babies need to be protected from whooping cough and other diseases and immunisations are recommended at 6 weeks old, then 3 months, 5 months, 15 months, 4 years and then 11 and 12 years
- Delaying immunisation puts your child at risk
Vaccine safety
Viewing time: 42 seconds
What you will learn:
- All NZ vaccines have been thoroughly tested and continue to be monitored for safety
- This is a comprehensive process lasting years
- The benefits far outweigh any potential risks and immunisation is strongly recommended by the Ministry of Health and many health professionals