Page 37 - Innovator's Science-8

To prevent and control diseases, people can follow some important and
simple steps. Keeping personal and surrounding cleanliness helps stop the

spread of germs. Washing hands regularly with soap and water removes
harmful pathogens. Covering the mouth and nose when coughing or
sneezing prevents germs from flying through the air. Wearing masks in
Washing hands
crowded places adds protection. Avoid sharing personal items like towels

and handkerchiefs. Eating clean food and drinking safe water are essential
to avoid infections from contaminated sources. Staying home and resting
while sick helps the body recover and stops diseases from spreading to
others. Getting vaccinated protects against many infectious diseases. Also,

leading a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, healthy eating, and
Clean food
avoiding smoking helps control chronic diseases like diabetes and heart
problems. These simple habits combined can greatly reduce the chances of
getting sick and spreading diseases to others.

ABILITY OF THE BODY TO FIGHT DISEASES
The ability of our body to fight diseases is called immunity . Our body has a

Safe drinking water special defense system known as the immune system that helps protect us
from harmful germs. Sometimes, we get vaccines, which are special
medicines made from weakened or dead germs, or parts of germs, to help
train our immune system. Vaccines teach our body how to recognize and

fight certain diseases, so if the germs try to infect us later, our body can stop
them quickly. This protection is called acquired immunity because it
Vaccination develops after the body learns about the germs either from getting sick or
from vaccines. Thanks to vaccines, many people don't get seriously sick
from diseases like polio, measles, and tetanus.

For example, a tetanus shot, often given after an injury protects against

infection by the tetanus-causing bacteria. It contains an inactivated
bacterial toxin that helps the immune system develop protection without
causing the disease. Do you know when the first vaccine was discovered?

EDWARD JENNER AND THE SMALLPOX VACCINE

Smallpox was a very dangerous disease that caused painful blisters and
killed many people. A milder disease called cowpox affected cows but could
also sometimes spread to humans. An English doctor named Edward

Jenner noticed that people who had caught cowpox did not get smallpox. In
1796, he tested this idea by giving a boy a small dose of cowpox, and later
the boy did not get smallpox even when exposed to it. This discovery led to

the creation of the first vaccine, which helped protect people from

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