The major difference between Vaccination and Immunization is that a vaccine is administered to people to create immunity from that disease. For example, before the polio vaccine is administered, the infant does not have immunity to the disease and has a high risk of contracting that disease. Therefore, a vaccination builds up resistance (immunity) to a disease.
What are the Differences Between Vaccination And Immunization?
In essence, vaccination and immunization go hand in hand. Immunity to a disease can occur naturally or be induced by artificial means. For instance, once you contract Chicken Pox, it is very rare for the same person to contract the disease again because they build up immunity to the disease. Creating immunity artificially involves exposure to very weak or deactivated disease causing microbes. The major difference between Vaccination And Immunization are summarized as follows:
| Difference Between Vaccination And Immunization | |
| Vaccination | Immunization |
| The process involves using vaccines to trigger an immune response to protect against infections/diseases. | The process of making one resistant to an infectious disease usually through vaccination. |
| It is usually injected or administered orally | It is not administered in any way. The body develops resistance from vaccines. |
| Imovax Rabies is the trade name for rabies vaccine | The body builds up immunity through this vaccine for the disease rabies. |
| Vaccination does not guarantee complete resistance to a disease | Complete immunity occurs when the person fully recovers from the disease. |
| Usually, if mutation happens to microbes, it might render the vaccine ineffective (this is the reason why common cold has no vaccine) | Similarly, variations of a disease impact the body’s ability to generate an immune response. |
Conclusion
Vaccination and immunity are often confused with each other but these are two very different terms that convey two different meanings.
What is Vaccination?
It is the drug (weak pathogen/ inactivated viruses) that is administered to a person to prevent the onset of a disease.
For more information related to immunity, vaccination and vaccines, visit BYJU’S.
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