The immune response is a natural mechanism activated by the human body when it detects the presence of an infectious agent.
Among our immune system’s most important features is its ability to distinguish cells and molecules that belong to the body from those that don’t. Its role is to stop a pathogenic agent (a virus, bacteria, or parasite, etc.) from spreading inside our bodies. Once an infectious agent is recognized, the immune system responds to the invasion by producing antibodies and competent cells in adequate quantities, targeting specifically the infection or the disease.
Vaccines train our immune system to create antibodies, just as it does when it’s exposed to a disease. However, because vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of germs like viruses or bacteria, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its complications.
Vaccines protect against many different diseases, including: Cholera, Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Influenza, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Meningitis(MMR), Pertussis, Rotavirus, Typhoid, Varicella, Rabies, Polio etc.
Reference
- CDC. Understanding How Vaccines Work. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/understanding-vacc-work.html
- Sanofi. How Immunization Works? https://www.sanofi.com/en/your-health/vaccines/how-immunization-works