How Vaccination and Immunization Work in the Human Body
One of the most effective ways of disease prevention, vaccines, helps protect the body against several disease-causing agents. Vaccines are known to protect us from more than 25 types of life-threatening diseases. These diseases include measles, typhoid, influenza, and tetanus.
While discussing vaccines, the words immunization and vaccination are used together quite often, but the question is, do they mean the same thing?
The World Health Organisation defines immunization as the process which helps make an individual immune to a particular infectious disease. This is done by administering a vaccine.
For example, before the booster dose is administered to a child or an infant, it may not be able to fight off diseases like tetanus or diphtheria. Therefore, immunization is a very beneficial preventive measure that can control and eradicate several life-threatening diseases. When a vaccine is administered to a person, his or her immune system develops many antibodies, so that he or she does not get sick from the same agent again.
So, what is the difference between vaccination and immunisation?
Immunization vs Vaccination
In clinical terms, a vaccine is a product that triggers an individual’s immune system. It helps to increase the person’s immunity towards specific diseases and also protects the person from ailments. Also, a vaccine is generally administered via a needle injection and can also be administered through the mouth or nose.
Life-threatening epidemics such as smallpox that claimed millions of lives have now been completely eradicated thanks to effective vaccination. So, the difference between immunization and vaccination lies in the fact that a body can only develop immunity when it is properly administered with a vaccine.
However, an individual's immunity can also be increased by natural means. For instance, a person who suffered from chickenpox or measles is unlikely to contract it again. A person becomes immune thanks to the creation of antibodies in his or her system. This is done by exposure to weak or deactivated forms of microbes. This is also known as inoculation.
The Following Table Further Highlights the Difference Between Vaccination and Immunisation
Pop Quiz 1
Which of the following diseases has no vaccines?
Tetanus
Typhoid
Common cold
H1N1
A vaccine does not cause disease when administered. It is merely a modified version of an immunogen and may consist of either an entire pathogen, a toxin, or just some of its components. More so, it only causes a healthy individual to elicit an initial response to the pathogen and generate many memory B and T cells.
Vaccines ensure protection for everyone and help generate communal immunity. Though vaccines and immunization are essentially part of one process, they are quite different in what they mean.
Learn all about vaccination and immunization differences and more from our team of master teachers. Sign up for our live classes online and make learning biology fun! Install the Vedantu app today.
Vaccination and Immunisation - An Explanation
A vaccine is usually an injection that contains a small strain of a disease or infection. This strain is modified to prevent you from getting infected by the disease while still allowing your body to learn how to recognize the disease. This strain is then injected into your body so that the body learns how to develop specific antibodies that will fight it off. By doing this, your body learns to adapt and react to any possible infection faster.
Immunization is a long process that includes the process of getting vaccinated and the recovery period which makes you immune to a disease. Unlike vaccination, which generally refers to the individual process of getting a vaccine, immunization usually refers to society at large getting vaccinated and then becoming immune to a disease.
You can learn more about vaccines here.
FAQs on Vaccination vs Immunization: What’s the Difference?
1. What is the main difference between vaccination and immunization?
The main difference lies in what each term describes: vaccination is the action, while immunization is the result.
- Vaccination is the specific act of administering a vaccine (usually by injection or orally) to a person to stimulate their immune system.
- Immunization is the broader process by which a person becomes protected against a disease. This process is triggered by vaccination, but it also includes the body's entire immune response that leads to long-term resistance.
Essentially, you get a vaccination to achieve immunization.
2. How does a vaccine work to create immunity in the body?
A vaccine works by introducing a safe, modified version or a small part of a pathogen (like a virus or bacterium) into the body. This agent is too weak to cause actual disease but is strong enough to trigger the immune system. The immune system recognizes this as a foreign invader and responds by creating antibodies and specialized memory cells (B-cells and T-cells). These memory cells remain in the body, and if the real pathogen ever enters, they can quickly recognize and mount a strong, rapid defence to prevent illness.
3. Are vaccination and immunization the same thing?
No, they are not the same, though the terms are often used interchangeably. Vaccination is the physical act of getting a vaccine. Immunization is the successful biological process of developing immunity and protection from a disease. While vaccination is the most common path to immunization, it is possible for a vaccination to not lead to full immunization in a small number of people due to individual immune system variations.
4. What is the difference between active and passive immunization?
The difference is based on how the body gains antibodies.
- Active immunization occurs when your own body is stimulated to produce its own antibodies and memory cells. This provides long-lasting, often lifelong, protection. It can be acquired naturally (by getting infected with a disease) or artificially (through vaccination).
- Passive immunization occurs when you are given ready-made antibodies from another source. This provides immediate but temporary protection because your body does not create its own memory cells. Examples include antibodies passed from a mother to her baby through the placenta or receiving an injection of antivenom for a snakebite.
5. What are some examples of vaccination leading to immunization?
A classic example is the polio vaccine. A child receives doses of the oral polio vaccine (the vaccination). This triggers their immune system to produce antibodies and memory cells against the poliovirus. The resulting long-term protection that prevents the child from getting polio is the immunization. Similarly, receiving the MMR vaccine (vaccination) leads to immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella.
6. Are vaccines 100% effective in preventing diseases?
No, no vaccine is 100% effective. However, most routine childhood vaccines are very effective, providing protection in 85% to 95% of people who receive them. For the small number of people who get a disease despite being vaccinated, the illness is almost always significantly milder and less likely to cause serious complications compared to someone who was not vaccinated.
7. Why is the term 'immunization' used for public health goals instead of just 'vaccination'?
Public health initiatives use 'immunization' because the ultimate goal is not just to distribute vaccines (vaccination), but to ensure that the population is truly protected from disease (immunization). This broader term reflects the desired outcome, which includes achieving herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely and protecting those who cannot be vaccinated.
8. What are some important vaccines recommended under India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)?
India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) provides several crucial vaccines free of cost to protect children and pregnant women. Key examples include:
- BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin): Protects against severe forms of childhood tuberculosis.
- OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine): For protection against poliomyelitis.
- Pentavalent Vaccine: A combination vaccine that protects against five diseases: Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib).
- MMR Vaccine: Provides immunity against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
