8. Vaccination

Question 1

How does vaccination work?

Answer 1

Vaccination is a way of exposing a person to the disease without getting the disease itself. Vaccination involves exposing the body’s immune system to a weakened or harmless version of the pathogen in order to stimulate white blood cells to produce antibodies.

Question 2

What are macrophages?

Answer 2

Macrophages are white blood cells which digest most of the invading microbe but save the antigens. They carry them back to the lymph nodes where immune cells congregate. Macrophages alert the body by regurgitating the antigen so lymphocytes can recognise them.

Question 3

What role do lymphocytes play in vaccination?

Answer 3

Lymphocytes produce antibodies which latch onto and coat the antigen. When antibodies gather on the surface of a microbe it becomes unable to function. Antibodies signal macrophages and other defensive cells to eat the microbe.