Question

How does vaccines provide immunity against a disease?

Answer 1

Vaccines:

1. Vaccines are weak pathogenic molecules of a disease that act as a training molecule for the immune system to develop a memory against a disease.
2. Immune system of the body provides resistance and protection against various diseases.
3. The epitope (a part of the foreign antigen) of the foreign pathogenic molecule is recognized by the lymphocytes of the cell to produce highly specific antibodies for its destruction.

Vaccination process:

1. A vaccine is provided to the body to boost its immune system.
2. Vaccine is prepared from the weakened or attenuated (heat-treated) form of a disease-causing agent.
3. The whole microbe, toxins, or a surface molecule can be used to prepare
4. The vaccine does not make the body sick but elicits an immune response, which serves as a memory for future encounters.
5. Hence, vaccination stimulates the immune system preparing it better for pathogenic infections.
6. Different types of vaccines are toxoid vaccines, mRNA vaccines, Live-attenuated vaccines, etc.