There are a dizzying number of on how to stay healthy, from to what promotes optimal wellness. Some of these tips are helpful and based on good evidence, while others are not.
Authors
Aimee Pugh Bernard
Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
David Higgins
Research fellow, Instructor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
However, one of the easiest, most effective and safest ways to stay healthy is rarely mentioned: vaccination.
We are a and who want people to live the healthiest lives possible. Among the many research-backed ways to live healthier, we encourage people to , , get and care for their mental health.
And when it comes to your immune system, nothing can replace the essential role vaccines play in promoting whole health. The protection that vaccines provide is an irreplaceable part of living the healthiest lifestyle possible.
Vaccines are essential to health
Some healthy people think they don’t need a vaccine. But your immune system needs more than just a healthy lifestyle to protect your body when vaccine-preventable diseases come knocking on the door.
Imagine the cells of your immune system as athletes preparing for the Olympics. Just as athletes undergo rigorous and specialized training to meet every possible challenge they might face in their event, immune cells to fight off every pathogenic challenge you encounter.
Vaccines to inactivated versions of a pathogen, providing them with practice sessions to recognize and combat the real threat with speed and precision. Vaccines ensure that your immune cells are at their peak performance when faced with the actual infection. Just as well-trained athletes can tackle their competition with skill and confidence, vaccinated immune cells can swiftly and effectively protect your body from diseases.
If a person is unvaccinated and exposed to a disease they haven’t encountered before, their immune cells are unprepared and must play catch-up to fight the pathogen. This leaves your body vulnerable to severe disease.
Even people at the pinnacle of health can unnecessarily suffer from because their immune systems might not have been well-trained. Take the story of , a healthy and athletic 17-year-old who was not vaccinated for influenza. Just days after he started to feel ill, he died of the disease.
For healthy people, vaccination can from influenza by two-thirds. When people choose to skip vaccines recommended as an essential part of their overall health, there is a greater chance of from a vaccine-preventable disease, regardless of how healthy they may be. These people are playing a potentially life-altering and deadly game of chance.
Vaccine-preventable diseases . In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of adults are hospitalized and thousands die every year from vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19. And tens of thousands of adults from vaccine-preventable diseases such as HPV.
Vaccines are the safest immune health hack
Many of the trendiest health hacks have of improving health. Some are . But vaccines are one of the most tested and proven ways to stay healthy.
Vaccines have been . In the past 50 years, they have saved an estimated . Mathematical models estimate that a 25-year-old now has a to their next birthday thanks to vaccines alone.
Not only are vaccines effective, but they are . Yes, vaccines can come with mild and limited side effects – who hasn’t felt a little sluggish or bumped their sore arm after getting vaccinated? More severe vaccine side effects are . If you have concerns, talk to your doctor. As opposed to dietary supplements, trendy health hacks and even many over-the-counter medications, there are in place to the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
Of all the tips available to improve your health, one recommendation is clear: Even healthy, fit people need recommended vaccines to stay healthy and live well.
Unpaid volunteer board member of Immunize Colorado
