Facts on immunity
Q. Can I avoid vaccinating my child by building their immunity with a healthy diet?
A. A healthy diet's great – but it can't do the job on its own.
Even the healthiest diet can't protect your child against the deadliest, most infectious diseases. A healthy diet provides the body with the building blocks it needs to respond to viruses and bacteria, it doesn't help the body recognize or respond more quickly to these germs. Bacteria and viruses that cause serious illness are able to make us sick by growing so quickly that they overwhelm the immune system's ability to respond. Having more building blocks doesn't help the body respond quickly enough to attack the viruses and bacteria before they grow enough to make us sick. Vaccines help the immune system respond more quickly to bacteria and viruses by showing the immune system what these germs look like so that it can recognize them. They also help the immune system respond more quickly by creating special memory immune cells which are always ready to repond quickly when viruses and bacteria are introduced into the body.
It is just like falling into a lake- having a healthy lifestyle and good diet is great but if you have never learned to swim you will have a hard time staying above the water.
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Wonder how vaccines work?
Vaccines are like a fire drill for your body's immune system – so you'll be ready when a real disease comes along.
Childhood diseases
Vaccines have worked so well, many of us have almost forgotten what these diseases can do. But many of them are killers - and children are especially vulnerable.
Get immunity!
Find a public health unit and book your vaccination now!
