Vaccines
Family Physician in Bokeelia, FL
Vaccines are an integral part of personal and public health and a need that no one should overlook. Daniel L. W. Hanley, MD, and the team at Ancuram Family Medicine in Bokeelia, Florida, offer vaccines as one of many preventive health services to keep you and your family as happy and healthy as possible. To learn more, book a visit using the online scheduling tool, or call the office to check appointment availability.
Each vaccine focuses on creating a strong immune response to a specific type of disease. That’s why you need multiple vaccine shots to achieve the highest level of protection. Immunization is the term that describes the process of developing immunity but is often used interchangeably with the terms vaccine or vaccination.
The flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccines are among the most widely known, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a full list of recommended vaccines for adults and children. Ancuram Family Medicine delivers vaccines according to those guidelines.
To understand vaccines, it helps to think about how your body naturally fights off disease. When your immune system recognizes a potentially harmful bacteria, fungus, or virus (antigens), it naturally launches a swift and powerful response, building up high levels of specific white blood cells and antibodies that fight off infection.
Once your immune system creates that response, it “remembers” how to replicate that cell production. If you ever encounter that specific antigen again, your immune system creates the specialized cells needed to fight back.
The problem lies in the fact that some diseases are so strong that they can overwhelm your body before it has time to create a natural immune response. That’s where vaccines come in.
Vaccines use dead, weakened, or divided parts of specific antigens to prompt your body’s natural immune reaction without creating a full-blown infection. They work as a “training ground” to effectively teach your body how to fight off serious illnesses.
Not only are vaccines safe, but they’re also a critical part of creating safety for others within your community. When the majority of a population receives a vaccine, that disease has nowhere to live and thrive. This is why America no longer has widespread polio outbreaks, and children no longer suffer from mumps and measles, which are still common in other countries.
Choosing to forego immunization can leave you without the defenses you need to battle a serious infection.
If you have questions or concerns about vaccines, call the office to book a visit today or take a moment to use the online scheduling tool.