Vaccinations

• Vaccinations give protection against specific diseases and boost the body’s defence against infection from pathogens without the need to be exposed to dangerous diseases that can lead to death

  • The level of protection in a population depends on the proportion of people vaccinated
• Lymphocytes produce complementary antibodies for the antigens

  • The antibodies target the antigen and attach themselves to it in order to create memory cells
  • The memory cells remain in the blood and will quickly respond to the antigen if it is encountered again in an infection by a ‘live’ pathogen
  • As memory cells have been produced, this immunity is long-lasting
• Vaccines allow a dead or altered form of the disease-causing pathogen, which contains specific antigens, to be introduced into the body

  • In this weakened state, the pathogen cannot cause illness but can provoke an immune response
• Vaccination Diagram

  A) harmless

  B) pathogen

  C) antigens

  D) antigens

  E) immune

  F) days

  G) lymphocyte

  H) complementary

  I) antibodies

  J) activated

  K) lymphocyte

  L) complementary

  M) antibodies

  N) antibodies

  O) specific

  P) antibodies

  Q) memory cells

  R) antigen

  S) antibodies

  T) faster

  U) long-term immunity

  V) memory cells

  
• Always mention respond rapidly when talking about memory cells