Antibodies passed through the placenta from the mother to the unborn child ensure protection to the child against certain diseases. After birth, mother’s milk continues to provide additional antibodies. However the protection is not permanent.

Vaccination helps provide protection against diseases after birth and in the growing years of a child since that is when he is most susceptible to diseases.

Vaccination is a process of creating immunization to a certain disease by using small amounts of weakened microorganism that causes the ailment. The immune system of the body gets stimulated to fend off the weakened microorganism and also remember it so that it can fight off the organism if it enters the body later.

Vaccinations have been able to prevent a number of diseases. There are certain vaccines that are to be given at birth, namely BCG, oral polio vaccine and hepatitis B. Then at sixth, tenth and fourteenth week, DPT with polio vaccine & hepatitis B need to be administered. At the age of nine months, a child should be given a dosage of measles vaccine.

Though the vaccines are not 100% foolproof, they have known to be 90% effective.

Most of these vaccines are subsidised by the government and hence is the most economical way of preventing diseases.

However lack of awareness amongst the masses result in them not availing the benefits that vaccination program provides. There is a need to educate people about the how various dreadful diseases can be prevented with a process a simple as vaccination.