How Do Vaccines Work in the Body?
Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to recognize and fight specific pathogens without causing disease. Here’s how they function:
- Introduction of Antigens: Vaccines contain antigens, which are parts of the pathogen such as proteins, weakened forms, or inactivated forms of the virus or bacteria. These antigens are not harmful but are enough to trigger an immune response.
- Immune Response Activation: When the vaccine is administered, the immune system recognizes these antigens as foreign invaders. This activates the body’s immune cells, including white blood cells like macrophages, T cells, and B cells.
- Antibody Production: B cells are stimulated to produce antibodies, which are proteins specifically designed to neutralize the pathogen’s antigens. These antibodies bind to the antigens, marking them for destruction by other immune cells.
- Memory Cells Formation: The immune system also creates memory cells that remember the specific antigens. If the person is later exposed to the actual pathogen, these memory cells recognize and respond more rapidly and effectively, preventing illness.
Vaccines thus prepare the immune system for future encounters with the pathogen, providing immunity and significantly reducing the risk of contracting the disease.
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