The Doc is... Sick?

Figure 1: Doc and Lambie

Have you ever watched the show Doc McStuffins? She is a doctor that takes care of her toys. When one of them gets sick or hurt, she figures out how to fix them so they feel better. One day Lambie and Stuffy wanted to play with Doc, but they noticed that she wasn't acting like herself. This time, her toys gave her a checkup and found out that she was sick. Remember when you had a stuffy nose and a scratchy throat? You might have had a cold just like Doc. She told her mom that she wasn't feeling good, so she took Doc's temperature. Did you ever have to hold a thermometer underneath your tongue? This is how you check a person's body temperature. Doc realized that she had a fever and had to take a sick day. Eventually, Doc took a rest so that she could feel better as soon as possible. Her toys were sad that she couldn't play with them or have fun. So, what if there was a way to help keep you and Doc from getting sick in the first place?

Figure 2: Getting a Shot

VACCINES!
That's what vaccines are for! There's these things called vaccines that help to stop a disease before you can get sick. You probably either saw someone getting a shot or went to the doctors to get one yourself (figure 1). Getting a shot is one way that people are given a vaccine. Not a lot of people like the feeling of being poked by one of those needles, but getting a vaccine actually makes us healthier. Vaccines are important because if Doc had gotten a flu shot, then she might not have gotten sick and missed out on a fun day!

HOW DO THEY WORK?
You may be thinking that vaccines seem like magic, but actually there are other things in your body that help vaccines work correctly. Antibodies are like tiny superheroes in your body. Isn't that cool? They look out for the bad guys which are viruses and bacteria that can make you sick. The antibodies then stop the bad guys from giving you a disease (1). The vaccine gives antibodies the power to work faster. It helps the antibodies to stop bad guys even quicker the next time they try to make you sick. Besides the little pinch you feel when getting a shot, a lot of good things can come out of being vaccinated. If you get vaccines, it can actually help in your neighborhood and school too. Also, who doesn't like a fun, colorful band-aid and a yummy lollipop? 

Figure 3: Yucky Germ!

VACCINES CAN HELP IN SCHOOL TOO!

Did you know that if everyone in your school got their shots you wouldn't get sick as often? If someone in your class doesn't get vaccinated they have a better chance of getting sick and bringing bad germs, like the one in the picture, into school. YUCK! Good thing Doc stayed home and didn't get anyone else sick. All around the world, kids just like you don't get all of their shots. When many students in the same school haven't been vaccinated, a disease outbreak can cause them all to get really sick (2). Learning at school wouldn't be fun if your friends were sick and had to stay home in bed all day.

Figure 4: Doc with Stuffy and Lambie

THE DOC IS IN!

Doc McStuffins feels so much better now and can go back to helping her toys (figure 4). If Doc had gotten a flu shot, she might have felt better and been able to play. There are worse diseases then just the flu though, and getting vaccinated against them is important to stay healthy. Without vaccines, a lot of people would be very sick and we would have to be more careful when going outside. Doc has learned a lot from getting sick with the flu and now she can make sure her toys are happy and healthy.

If you want to hear more about when Doc got the flu, CLICK HERE! 


References
(1) Offit, P. A., & Moser, C. A. (2011). Vaccines & your child: Separating fact from fiction. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.
(2) Lee, E. O., Rosenthal, L., & Scheffler, G. (2013, November 14). The effect of childhood vaccine exemptions on disease outbreaks. Retrieved from Center for American Progress website: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/reports/2013/11/14/76471/the-effect-of-childhood-vaccine-exemptions-on-disease-outbreaks/
Figure 1: Doc and Lambie [Web Image]. (2016, September 6). Retrieved from http://nickjrcharacters.blogspot.com/2016/09/doc-mcstuffins.html
Figure 2: Getting a Shot [Web Image]. Retrieved from http://capspediatrics.com/
Figure 3: Yucky Germ! [Web Image]. (2016, July 29). Retrieved from https://blog.pkids.org/tag/virus/
Figure 4: Doc with Stuffy and Lambie [Web Image]. Retrieved from http://www.tailorcreations.com/docmcstuffins.html