How vaccination works

Our immune system recognises the components of the vaccine as an infectious organism (virus or bacterium) capable of causing the corresponding disease, and produces specific antibodies to eliminate it.

These antibodies then remain in the body and protect us against a new infection by the same infectious organism. We refer to this as our immunological memory.

If the virus or bacterium that causes the disease enters our body after we have been vaccinated against it, the specific antibodies that we have produced and retained will be able to recognise and neutralise it before we fall ill.

Diseases that can be prevented by vaccination are referred to as 'vaccine-preventable diseases'.

The effectiveness of vaccines has been convincingly demonstrated. For example, smallpox has been eradicated worldwide thanks to vaccination. Polio has disappeared from Western Europe and a number of other diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, have been virtually eradicated or are now rare in our country. Childhood Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis has also disappeared in Luxembourg and has become rare in countries that vaccinate all infants against this disease.

If we stopped vaccinating or did not maintain sufficient vaccine coverage, certain diseases that have not existed in Luxembourg for many years would reappear. We have seen many examples in other countries, but also domestically, that confirm this.

Polio recently re-emerged in Eastern Europe, due to insufficient vaccination amongst certain population groups. There have also been outbreaks of diphtheria there, while cases of measles continue to be reported by our neighbours, and since 2019 in Luxembourg too, amongst people who have not been vaccinated. Pathogenic organisms can also be imported from abroad and travel increases this risk. It would therefore be wrong to assume that vaccinations are now unnecessary, even if these diseases are no longer present in Luxembourg. A particular vaccination will become unnecessary only once the disease against which it offers protection has been eradicated globally, as is the case for smallpox.

The World Health Organization, in partnership with numerous foundations and non-governmental organisations, is aiming to eradicate certain diseases, such as polio and measles, by 2030.

In the case of other diseases, in particular invasive infections, vaccination not only offers individual protection against the infection concerned, but also protects you from being a carrier of the bacteria, i.e. from having the bacteria in your throat or nose without experiencing any symptoms.

Decreasing vaccine coverage leads to an increase in the number of carriers and the circulation of the bacterium concerned and therefore exposes the population, in particular the most vulnerable groups, to a higher risk of infection. This risk increases further if the child is part of a community of children or a group in which nobody is vaccinated for religious or ideological reasons. If the number of parents refusing vaccinations rises, this will lead to the re-emergence of diseases that have disappeared from our country.