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Should New Zealand Have Mandatory Vaccinations?

Decent Essays

Should New Zealand have mandatory vaccinations? Our immune system is the second most complex system in our body. It is made up of organs, cells and proteins that work together to protect our bodies from harmful bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms that can cause diseases. Usually we don’t notice our immune system defending us against pathogens, but if the pathogen (harmful microorganism) is aggressive or if our body hasn’t ever come into contact with it, we can get sick. The jobs of our immune system are to recognise pathogens, as well as neutralise and remove them from our body. Our immune system also has to fight our own cells if they have changed due to an illness, for example, cancer. (1) For the immune system to able to keep us healthy it needs to be able to recognise what is a danger to our body and therefore needs to be removed, and what is safe. Proteins are used to do this. Pathogens have proteins on their surface called antigens, which activate the immune system. Our own cells also have surface proteins which the immune system recognises as part of the body and therefore doesn’t attack. (1) Our immune system is made up of two parts that work together to keep us healthy. The first part is called the innate immune system, it is made up mostly of ‘scavenger’ and ‘killer’ cells that fight off bacterial infections and give the body a general defense against harmful substances. The second part of the immune system is called the adaptive immune system. This part

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