Vaccines and Immunology?

[mykdsmomy]

Have there been any studies that show how vaccines affect a baby/child/adult's immune function either short term or long term? How does our body react to a vpd vs. a vaccine in terms of our immune system? Does a vpd strengthen our immune system or weaken it?
My old ped used to tell me to fill my dc's bottle with tap water rather than bottled so they could build up immunity to the smaller bacteria. There is obviously the school of thought out there that subscribes to exposure=stronger immune system....but where's the proof to that?
I hope that all makes sense....it does in my brain

[Deborah]

Some evidence that vaccines mostly skew the immune response in a particular way. I can never remember if it is TH1 or TH2, but anyway, they skew it the wrong direction and this has something to do with the rising rates of allergies.

Anybody who knows more about this than I do? Wouldn't require much

[Plummeting]

There have been a couple studies here and there showing that infection with certain VPD's (measles and pertussis are the only I recall) can decrease the risk of asthma and/or eczema. There have been other studies to debunk those studies and even to show the opposite, so I don't know if there is anything solid out there either way, kwim?