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Introduction to Vaccines definitions

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  • Vaccine
    An antigen preparation designed to safely trigger artificial active immunity, enabling the body to build its own defense against specific diseases.
  • Artificial Active Immunity
    A form of protection achieved when the immune system is stimulated by deliberate exposure to antigens, leading to long-term defense.
  • Antigen
    A molecule or substance recognized by the immune system, prompting the production of a targeted immune response.
  • Attenuated Vaccine
    A preparation containing weakened live agents that can replicate in the host without causing illness, effectively stimulating immunity.
  • Inactivated Vaccine
    A preparation using non-replicating or killed pathogens, or their components, to safely provoke an immune response.
  • Variolation
    A historical practice involving deliberate exposure to infectious material from disease victims to induce immunity, now obsolete due to safety concerns.
  • Cowpox
    A less severe zoonotic disease, exposure to which provided early protection against smallpox and inspired the first vaccine.
  • Smallpox
    A once-deadly viral disease eradicated through widespread immunization efforts, serving as a landmark in vaccine history.
  • Zoonosis
    An infectious disease that primarily exists in animals but can be transmitted to humans, sometimes used in vaccine development.
  • Memory Cell
    A long-lived immune cell generated after antigen exposure, enabling rapid and robust responses upon future encounters.
  • Eradication
    The complete and permanent worldwide reduction of a disease to zero cases, often achieved through effective vaccination.
  • Immunizing Agent
    A substance, often derived from pathogens, used to provoke an immune response and confer protection against disease.
  • Pathogen
    A microorganism or virus capable of causing disease, often targeted by vaccines to prevent infection.
  • Prophylactic Strategy
    A preventive approach designed to protect individuals or populations from infectious diseases, commonly involving immunization.
  • Host
    An organism in which a pathogen or immunizing agent resides, replicates, or elicits an immune response.