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- Vaccination, administering a vaccine for protection against pathogens, is vital for primary prevention.
- The immune system, while naturally defending against infections, can be overwhelmed by certain pathogens, leading to severe illness.
- Vaccination involves exposing the immune system to a safe antigenic preparation to recognize and eliminate pathogens in future encounters.
- Diseases like measles, polio, tetanus, and whooping cough have been effectively controlled through vaccination.
- Different forms of vaccines, including proteins or sugars, dead or inactivated pathogens, toxoids, or weakened pathogens, are used to stimulate the immune response.
- The adaptive immune response developed through vaccination equips the body to fight off actual infections.
- Herd immunity is a crucial benefit, as more vaccinated individuals enhance societal defense against diseases.
- Vaccination contributes to the memory of specific antigens, ensuring a faster response to future pathogen encounters.