Infections, Antibiotics, and Vaccination

How to reduce the chances of being infected Avoid crowded areas especially if you have a compromised immune system Wash your hands often and thoroughly Wash food thoroughly and ensure that all food is cooked properly Avoid sharing drinks or other objects used by others Use gloves when working with objects that are dirty or may be contaminated with bacteria

How to treat infections: Antibiotics Antibiotics are materials taken from bacteria or fungi, which are used to destroy harmful bacteria or fungi. E.g. Penicillin (made from the mould Penicillium notatum) is used to destroy the bacteria cell wall Note: Antibiotics are not used for virus

Antibiotics and Resistance Antibiotics kill nearly all bacteria The variations of bacteria that are not affected by the antibiotics are antibiotic resistant. Those bacteria will then reproduce and repopulate. The result is that nearly all of the bacteria living will be antibiotic resistant.  Evolution

Antibiotics and Resistance Many parasitic bacteria (and fungi) are becoming resistant to many drugs. E.g. Some tuberculosis causing bacteria are now resistant to 7 different antibiotics A new “super bacteria” may be the potential outcome

Antibiotics: The Good and Bad Good: Antibiotics help treat diseases, reduce the risk of disease, and can even help promote growth Bad: Antibiotics not only kill bad bacteria, but good bacteria as well Can eliminate most good bacteria, especially in the digestive system Bad: Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics vs. Vaccination AntibioticsVaccinations -Bacteria (Good and Bad), fungi, protists Destroys which organisms? -Viruses, Bacteria (in some cases) -Breaks down structure of the bacteria causing it to die How does it work?-Stimulates the body to develop an immune response to kill the virus in the future -Various componentsWhat is it made of?-Dead or inactive components of a virus or bacteria - Affects good bacteria and can cause fever, nausea, and diarrhea What are the side effects?-Few side effects (most allergy related)

Vaccine Dilemma and Community Immunity Few scientific journals reported that vaccination caused severe side effects including autism and other disorders The journals were proven to be incorrect, yet many refuse to get vaccinated When most people are vaccinated nearly everyone is protected through “Community Immunity”