Vaccination Overview and Types

Vaccination is the process of introducing a weakened or inactive form of a pathogen into the body to stimulate an immune response and provide immunity. This helps the body develop antibodies, which are specialized proteins that recognize and destroy pathogens and prevent future infections.

Herd immunity occurs when a high percentage of the population is immune to a disease, making it difficult for the disease to spread. This protects those who cannot receive a vaccine, such as infants or people with weakened immune systems, from contracting the disease.

Live attenuated vaccines use a weakened version of the virus or bacteria that still triggers an immune response. This weakened version is unable to cause disease and can be safely administered to the body.

Killed vaccines use a version of the virus or bacteria that has been inactivated and cannot reproduce. It is unable to cause disease, but stimulates an immune response.

Toxoid vaccines use toxins produced by bacteria. The toxins have been inactivated and can no longer cause harm. However, they trigger an immune response against the specific toxin, preventing future infections.

Subunit vaccines use isolated components of the pathogen's protein coat. These components trigger an immune response without exposing the body to the whole pathogen. They are especially useful for pathogens with complex structures.

Naked DNA vaccines use a gene from the pathogen to stimulate an immune response. The DNA is injected into the body where it instructs cells to produce antigens – proteins that are recognized by the immune system.

Recombinant DNA plasmids combine DNA fragments from different sources to create a vaccine. They use restriction enzymes to cut DNA and DNA ligase to join the DNA fragments together, resulting in plasmids that produce specific proteins for vaccines.

Edward Jenner was a country doctor who experimented with cowpox and discovered that it provided immunity to smallpox. He inoculated a young boy with cowpox pus and subsequently exposed him to smallpox, finding the boy was protected. He is credited with pioneering the field of immunology.

Vaccination schedules are designed to provide proper protection against various diseases at different stages of life. It's important to consult with a healthcare provider to ensure that you receive the recommended vaccines..