Vaccination and immunity

Question 1

What are memory cells?

Answer 1

Some white blood cells stay in the body. If the same pathogen comes back, these cells can produce antibodies more quickly.

Question 2

What is immunity?

Answer 2

White blood cells produce antibodies to kill a pathogen but your body only knows what shape to make the antibodies after you have caught the disease and become ill. However, the next time you are infected, your white blood cells, will produce the same antibodies and kill the pathogens before you get any symptoms.

Question 3

What are vaccines and what are their purpose?

Answer 3

• Vaccines contain small amounts of weakened or dead pathogens. These all act as antigens.
• When injected into the body, they stimulate white blood cells to produce antibodies against the pathogen. These will kill the pathogen.
• If the person gets infected by the same pathogen later, their body can produce the same antibodies quickly, which kill the pathogen before the person gets ill.