TYPES OF VACCINES AND ACTIONS
The main types of vaccines that act in different ways are:
Live-attenuated vaccines
Inactivated vaccines
Subunit, recombinant, conjugate, and polysaccharide vaccines
Toxoid vaccines
mRNA vaccines
Viral vector vaccines
There is a risk of side effects with all vaccines, but some are less likely to cause side
effects than others.
Live-attenuated vaccines
Live-attenuated vaccines inject a live version of the germ or virus that causes a
disease into the body. Although the germ is a live specimen, it is a weakened version
that does not cause any symptoms of infection as it is unable to reproduce once it is
in the body.
Live-attenuated vaccines can be made to create immunity against viruses or
bacteria, but they are more commonly used for viruses.
This type of vaccine works by allowing a virus or germ to reproduce enough for the
body to make memory B-cells, which are a type of cell that can recognize and
remember a virus and generate an immune response against it for many years after
their initial response.
Live-attenuated vaccines trigger an immune response that is similar to what would
occur during a natural infection, but the person is not able to pass on the virus to
other people and will not become ill with the disease the virus causes.
A person will usually get lifelong immunity from disease through live-attenuated
vaccines, and only one or two doses of the vaccine are usually needed to provide
this immunity.
, The types of diseases that live-attenuated vaccines are used for include:
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR combined vaccine)
Rotavirus
Smallpox
Chickenpox
Yellow fever
As a live version of the virus or bacteria is included in this type of vaccine, medical
advice should be sought before the vaccine is given as it may not be suitable for
people with weakened immune systems or long-term health conditions.
Live-attenuated vaccines also need to be kept cool while they are stored, so they
may not be suitable for use in environments where there is little access to
refrigeration.
Inactivated vaccines
An inactivated vaccine uses a strain of a bacteria or virus that has been killed with
heat or chemicals. This dead version of the virus or bacteria is then injected into the
body.
Inactivated vaccines are the earliest type of vaccine to be produced, and they do not
trigger an immune response that is as strong as that triggered by live-attenuated
vaccines.
Inactivated vaccines do not offer lifelong immunity and need topping up over time,
but they may cause fewer side effects than live-attenuated vaccines.
The types of diseases that inactivated vaccines are used for include:
Hepatitis A
Flu
Polio
Rabies
The main types of vaccines that act in different ways are:
Live-attenuated vaccines
Inactivated vaccines
Subunit, recombinant, conjugate, and polysaccharide vaccines
Toxoid vaccines
mRNA vaccines
Viral vector vaccines
There is a risk of side effects with all vaccines, but some are less likely to cause side
effects than others.
Live-attenuated vaccines
Live-attenuated vaccines inject a live version of the germ or virus that causes a
disease into the body. Although the germ is a live specimen, it is a weakened version
that does not cause any symptoms of infection as it is unable to reproduce once it is
in the body.
Live-attenuated vaccines can be made to create immunity against viruses or
bacteria, but they are more commonly used for viruses.
This type of vaccine works by allowing a virus or germ to reproduce enough for the
body to make memory B-cells, which are a type of cell that can recognize and
remember a virus and generate an immune response against it for many years after
their initial response.
Live-attenuated vaccines trigger an immune response that is similar to what would
occur during a natural infection, but the person is not able to pass on the virus to
other people and will not become ill with the disease the virus causes.
A person will usually get lifelong immunity from disease through live-attenuated
vaccines, and only one or two doses of the vaccine are usually needed to provide
this immunity.
, The types of diseases that live-attenuated vaccines are used for include:
Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR combined vaccine)
Rotavirus
Smallpox
Chickenpox
Yellow fever
As a live version of the virus or bacteria is included in this type of vaccine, medical
advice should be sought before the vaccine is given as it may not be suitable for
people with weakened immune systems or long-term health conditions.
Live-attenuated vaccines also need to be kept cool while they are stored, so they
may not be suitable for use in environments where there is little access to
refrigeration.
Inactivated vaccines
An inactivated vaccine uses a strain of a bacteria or virus that has been killed with
heat or chemicals. This dead version of the virus or bacteria is then injected into the
body.
Inactivated vaccines are the earliest type of vaccine to be produced, and they do not
trigger an immune response that is as strong as that triggered by live-attenuated
vaccines.
Inactivated vaccines do not offer lifelong immunity and need topping up over time,
but they may cause fewer side effects than live-attenuated vaccines.
The types of diseases that inactivated vaccines are used for include:
Hepatitis A
Flu
Polio
Rabies
