Vaccine

A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by any natural or 'wild' strain of the organism. The term derives from vaccinia, the infectious viral agent of cowpox, which, when administered to humans, provided them protection against smallpox. The process of distributing and administrating vaccines is referred to as vaccination.

References

• AAPPublications.org - 'Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence From Danish Population-Based Data' Pediatrics, Vol 112, No 3, September 2003 (Denmark study on autism rates)
• BMJJournals.com - 'Comparative efficacy of three mumps vaccines', Matthias Schlegel, Joseph J. Osterwalder, Renato L. Galeazzi, Pietro J. Vernazza, British Medical Journal Vol 319, No 352, August 7, 1999
• BrianDeer.com - 'Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children' Andrew Wakefield, et al., The Lancet, Vol 351, No 9103, February 28, 1998
• JPandS.org (pdf) - 'Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines, Neurodevelopment Disorders, and Heart Disease in the United States', Mark Geier, M.D., Ph.D., and David Geier, B.A., Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Vol 8, No 1, Spring, 2003