DISCLAIMER
I do not have a medical license, and I am not distributing medical advice. Ask your primary care physician for more information.
Vaccines: What Are They?
Vaccines are an injection, typically in the muscle, that contain dead and weakened pathogens or mRNA. They deliver protection against the disease that the pathogen causes.
How do they work?
We strongly recommend reading the immune system page.
Innactive Vaccine
An innactive vaccine is made by taking bacteria or viruses and killing them. Then the dead pathogen is injected into tissue and the immune system does...well...nothing. That's why inactive vaccines come with cytokines, which provoke the immune system. Suddenly, the immune system sees a large-scale invasion and boots up the T Cells and B Cells. In the end, you have memory cells that protect yourself against the disease in the future.
Live-Attenuated Vaccine
A live-attenuated vaccine is made by taking a bacteria, or viruses especially, and "domesticating" them into weaker versions of themselves. This is then introduced to your immune system, which eventually beats the weak virus and creates memory T Cells and B Cells. Plasma Cells continue to create Antibodies which provide resistence to the disease.
Passive Immunization ‐ Antivenom
When a venomous insect or reptile bites you, venom protein go through your blood and kill you from the inside. If you get to a hospital in time, hospitals will give you antivenom, which are Antibodies from another animal. Antibodies are powerful proteins that disarm most everthing. To make an antivenom, an animal is given increasing doses of venom until the animal is venom resistant. Then, the blood is purified until it is just Antibodies*. The Antibodies are put in your blood and you are saved.
mRNA Vaccine
mRNA vaccines are a new development in the immunology field. mRNA tells cells what proteins to make. The idea is, you put mRNA in some of your cells, and they make virus proteins. Then, your immune system produces Killer T Cells and B Cells to fight off the "infection." This leaves you with lasting immunity to the original disease. This type of vaccine was used in the COVID-19 vaccine.
Unfortunately, many people think vaccines are "toxic" and don't vaccinate their children. This is incredibly dangerous for individuals who legitimately can't get a vaccine because they are immunodeficient or allergic. When enough people have a vaccine, the disease can't travel though the population and no one gets sick, even those unvaccinated (this is called herd immunity). Get vaccinated today!