Immunizations are one of the great discoveries of the 20th century. We think of them as something for children but they’re just as important for adults. It is one of the best things you can do for your health.
To understand how immunizations work, you need to know that your body fights germs by producing substances that neutralize them. The immune system sort of “remembers” the germs and can fight them again if they’re foolish enough to enter your body.
Where do vaccines come in? They contain germs that have been killed or weakened. Given to healthy people, vaccines trigger the immune system to fight future germs and thus, “build immunity.”
Before vaccines, people became immune only by actually getting a disease and surviving it. Don’t try to “survive” a disease–immunizations are an easier and safer way to become immune.
Check out our web page for a list of vaccinations [ LINK], for more on vaccinations, especially for gay men. Or take a look at this vaccine recommendations chart from the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: