| Vaccinations | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Young girl about to receive a vaccine in her upper arm | |
| ICD-9-CM | 99.3-99.5 |
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop protection from disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live, or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases. Although no vaccine can be 100% safe or effective for everyone because each person’s body can react differently, serious side effects are exceedingly rare. Minor side effects like soreness, low-grade fever is common. According to the World Health Organization, vaccination averts 2–3 million deaths per year, and up to 1.5 million children die each year due to diseases that could have been prevented by vaccination.