Vaccines: Are You Protected?  Author: Sarah K. Ford, PharmD,
BCPS, CPP  A vaccine is a medication that is given to prevent
sickness in the future. Vaccines provide immunity, which means
that they prepare your body to fight off a disease caused by a
virus or bacteria. Each vaccine is made to protect against a
certain virus or bacteria. A vaccine is made from weakened or
killed forms of the actual virus or bacteria that it protects
against. Vaccines are usually given by a shot into the muscle or
just under the skin, but some vaccines can be given by mouth or
with a nasal spray.  How Do Vaccines Work? Antibodies are
proteins in your body that fight viruses and bacteria. After a
vaccine is given, the body makes antibodies against the weakened
or killed virus or bacteria. These antibodies stay in your
body's immune system "memory." They will fight off infection if
you are exposed to that same virus or bacteria in the future.
This "memory" lasts a lifetime with some vaccines. But
protection from some viruses and ba