Immunisation is of vital importance in preventing a number of very nasty and frequently fatal illnesses. Because many immunisation programs have been extremely successful, many of the diseases have become very rare - so rare that many people now know little of them - diseases such as diphtheria, smallpox and polio - these diseases were much more common and killed many more people than infections such as HIV and hepatitis about which we hear so much. Smallpox - the scourge of much of the world for centuries, has been completely eradicated by immunisation.
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Vaccination is when a vaccine is administered to you (usually by injection). Immunisation is what happens in your body after you have the vaccination. The vaccine stimulates your immune system so that it can recognise the disease and protect you from future infection i.e. you become immune to the infection.
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As stated on Immunise Australia Program: 
Immunisation Schedule for Children
Immunisations for Adults Chickenpox (Varicella) Vaccine Gardasil Vaccine - HPV (Genital Warts) Vaccine Hepatitis A Vaccine Hepatitis B Vaccine Hib - Haemophilus Influenza B Influenza Vaccine MMR Vaccine Meningococcal Vaccine Pneumococcal Vaccine-incl Prevenar Polio Vaccine Rotavirus Triple Antigen IPV Zostavax |
It is imperative that we do not become complacent about immunisation as these diseases could rapidly re-emerge if the number of people with immunity from vaccination should decline.
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