Respond to: Tyree Wheeler
Vaccines and Immunity Serum
How immunity is acquired is the primary distinction between vaccinating a patient and administering an immune serum. Vaccines work by telling a person’s immune system to make protective antibodies, while immune serum gives the patient access to already-made antibodies.
A vaccine works by exposing the patient’s immune system to either a weakened or killed form of the disease-causing organism. An individual’s immune system is primed to recognize and destroy the disease-causing bacterium after exposure. After this initial exposure, the immune system will remember the disease-causing organism, allowing for a more rapid and effective response the next time it encounters the same organism. Active immunity is a type that can continue for years, if not the rest of a person’s life.
“Vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism (antigen) that trigger an immune response within the body” (How Do Vaccines Work? 2020)
Contrarily, when a patient is treated with immune serum, they are administered pre-made antibodies against that disease. Transfusion of breast milk or placental transfer of antibodies are two examples of this process at work. It is also possible to achieve this effect by taking a drug containing antibodies, such as a serum. Since the patient is not responsible for making the antibodies but rather is receiving them from an outside source, we call this sort of immunity “passive.” Passive immunization typically ceases to protect after a few weeks or months.
The differences between active and passive immunity are significant. Since the patient’s immune system is engaged in the manufacture of antibodies, the effects of active immunity tend to last much longer than those of passive immunization. “Vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism (antigen) that trigger an immune response within the body. “Newer vaccines contain the blueprint for producing antigens rather than the antigen itself.” (How Do Vaccines Work? 2020) and be more comprehensive. Conversely, because the patient is not actively engaged in producing the antibodies themselves, passive immunity tends to be short-lived and provides less comprehensive protection. Furthermore, because the patient’s immune system has not been prompted to recognize and fight off the disease-causing organism, passive immunity does not provide the same immunity against future contact with the organism.
Ultimately, it will be up to the patient to decide whether or not they would benefit more from receiving a vaccine or an immune serum to prevent sickness. “The major advantage of vaccines is that they provide more long-term protection by stimulating the body’s immune system to recognize and fight off the disease-causing organism, allowing for better and longer-lasting immunity Passive immunity means that protection is immediate, whereas active immunity takes time (usually several weeks) to develop. However, passive immunity lasts only for a few weeks or months. “Only (Author’s Last Name, 2022) active immunity is lasting.” (Types of Immunity to a Disease | CDC, 2021) A vaccine has the potential to offer lifelong protection against the disease-causing organism, making it the best choice in some situations. However, immune serum may be better in some cases because it can protect quickly against a specific disease without first boosting the patient’s immune system.
References
How do vaccines work? (2020, December 8). World Health Organization. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-do-vaccines-work Types of Immunity to a Disease | CDC. (2021, September 24). Types of Immunity to a Disease | CDC. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/immunity-types.htm
