Have you ever heard someone say that you can’t vaccinate away bacteria?
No?
Then you don’t spend much time arguing with anti-vaccine folks…
The Myth That You Can’t Vaccinate Away Bacteria
Although many vaccines protect against viral infections, there are others that do “vaccinate away bacteria,” including those that prevent vaccine-preventable diseases like:
- anthrax – caused by the Bacillus anthracis bacteria
- cholera – caused by the the bacterium Vibrio cholerae
- diphtheria – caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria
- Hib – caused by the Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria
- meningococcal disease – caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria
- pertussis – caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria
- pneumococcal disease – caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria
- tetanus – caused by the Clostridium tetani bacteria
- tuberculosis – caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria
- typhoid fever – caused by the Salmonella serotype Typhi bacteria
And although it is no longer available, the Lyme disease vaccine worked against Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.
“Vaccines can help limit the spread of antibiotic resistance.”
WHO on Why vaccination is important for addressing antibiotic resistance
So yes, you can prevent or “vaccinate away bacteria,” or in some cases, the toxins that bacteria produce.
And that’s a good thing.
Get educated and get vaccinated to help prevent infections from both the viruses and bacteria that can get your family sick.
What about vaccines to vaccinate away parasites and fungi?
We don’t have those yet…
What To Know About Vaccines Against Bacterial Diseases
Many vaccines work to protect us against bacterial diseases, from anthrax to typhoid fever, so yes, you can vaccinate away bacteria.
More About Vaccines Against Bacterial Diseases
- Types of Vaccines
- WHO – Why is vaccination important for addressing antibiotic resistance?
- CDC – Recommended Vaccines by Disease
- Malaria: is vaccine against a parasite possible?
- A Push for Parasite Prevention: A New Live Malaria Vaccine Improves Protection
- PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
- First malaria vaccine receives positive scientific opinion from EMA
- A Vaccine Triumph
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