Gaining immunity from natural infection can carry the risk of suffering an illness, which can sometimes be very serious.

When you are immunised, your body's immune system generally responds in a similar way to natural infection but without the risks associated with contracting the disease.

In some cases, both vaccine-induced and natural immunity may diminish over time.  If this happens, a person can sometimes be re-immunised.

Vaccines are thoroughly tested, evaluated and followed up for their safety and effectiveness. Homoeopathic preparations do not undergo the same level of scrutiny - many have not been subjected to testing or approval through the required government regulatory bodies, which is standard practice for vaccines.

Please discuss any questions you have about vaccines or homeopathic preparations with your doctor.

Although the majority of people in Australia are vaccinated, there are important reasons for continuing with immunization, including:

• High immunisation rates can prevent diseases from re-emerging.
• Vaccination of communities can help protect vulnerable people who cannot receive vaccinations due to health issues. For this to be successful, immunisation rates among the population must be high.
• Diseases, such as measles, can be transmitted by travellers that are returning from countries where vaccine-preventable diseases are still common.

Vaccines are thoroughly studied in thousands of people before they become available to the wider community. It can take up to 10 years for a vaccine to be approved for use. Vaccines are rigorously tested to ensure they are effective, comply with strict manufacturing and production standards and have a good safety record. If they don't meet these strict criteria, their use will not be permitted.

After a vaccine is approved for use, it is still reviewed for its safety. In Australia, there are surveillance systems in place that collect reports of side-effects following vaccination.

If you have any concerns regarding the safety of vaccines, please discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Some common side effects are a sore arm, fever, and pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. A range of other and more serious side effects may be experienced by individuals and may vary depending on the vaccine given. Completing a pre-immunisation checklist will help your doctor to identify potential issues that may arise following vaccination.

If you or members of your family experiences any side-effects, regardless of how minor the symptoms are, make sure you report them to your doctor. It is worth remembering that the diseases prevented by vaccination can be very severe.

If you have any concerns about the side-effects of vaccines, speak to your doctor before you or your children are vaccinated.