* A preparation of killed microorganisms,

living attenuated organisms, or living fully

virulent organisms that is administered to
produce or artificially increase immunity
to a particular disease.

1. Capture by Anti-gen-Presenting Cell
(APC): APCs roam the body looking for
invaders. When APC finds the vaccine
antigen, it ingress the invader, break it
apart, and displays a piece of the
antigen on its surface.
T helper cell activation: APCs displaying
the antigen travel to areas where
immune cells cluster such as lymph
nodes. Nave T cells specific to the
antigen recognize it as foreign and
become activated. T helper cell (1 type
of active T cells) alert nearby cells to the
presence of the invader.
B Cell Activation: Nave B cells react to
vaccine antigen when it enters the
body. B cells can recognize antigens
displayed by APCs as well as antigens
travelling freely in the body. Active B
cells can undergo cell division,
producing more active B cells that are
specific to the vaccine antigen.
B cells Mature into Plasma B cells: After
activation by the vaccine antigen and
receipt of signals from activated T helper
cells, some B cells transform into plasma
B cells- the immune systems antibody
factories. The plasma B cells produce
antibodies specific to the vaccine
antigen.
Plasma B cells secrete Antibodies: Y
shaped proteins called antibodies are
released at high levels every second. The
number of antibody types in the human
body is in the hundreds of millions,
allowing for interaction and binding with
a huge range of antigens.
Antibodies Bind to Specific Antigens:
Each antibody tightly attaches to one
specific, target antigen, similar to a lock
and key. This action may prevent the
antigen from entering a cell or mark the
antigen for destruction.
Killer T cell Response: If the vaccine
contains attenuated viruses, the vaccine
viruses enter cells. Killer T cells find and
destroy the invaded cells. Nave killer T
cells require an APC to display an
antigen piece before they are
activated.

Retention of Memory cells: The goal of
immunization is to produce memory of
the vaccine antigen via a large
population of memory cells. If the real
pathogen enters the body in the future,
memory cells will recognize it The bodys
response will be stronger and faster than
if it had never encountered the
pathogen.

First Step: Generate Antigen
The first step is the generation of the
antigen used to induce an immune
response. This step includes the growth and
harvesting of the pathogen itself or
generation of recombinant protein derived
from the pathogen. Recombinant proteins
can be manufactured in cultures of
bacterial cells or yeast. Bacterial pathogens
are grown in devices using a growth
medium developed to optimize the yield of
the antigen while maintaining its integrity.
The second step is to release the antigen
from the cells and isolate it from the
material used in its growth. Proteins and
other parts of the growth medium may
still be present and must be removed in
the next step. The goal of this stage is to
release as much virus or bacteria as
possible.
The third step is the purification of the
antigen. For vaccines that are made
from recombinant proteins, this may
involve chromatography and ultra
filtration.
The fourth step may be the addition of
an adjuvant, which is a material that
nonspecifically enhances immune
responses. Vaccines may also include
stabilizers to prolong shelf-life or
preservatives to allow multi-dose vials to
be used safely.
The final step combines all components
that make up the final vaccine and
uniformly mixes them in a single vessel.
Then the vaccine is filled into vial or
syringe packages , sealed with sterile
stoppers or plungers, and labeled for
widespread distribution.

Live attenuated {weakened} vaccines are
designed to produce an infection without
symptoms. This generates an immune
response similar to natural infection, but
without causing illness-and without
spreading onward to infect other
individuals. These vaccines often confer
long-term immunity. Live vaccines can be
made for either viruses or bacteria.
Inactivated vaccines were among the
earliest vaccines to be developed. They
generally have fewer side effects than
live attenuated vaccines, but tend to
evoke a less robust immune response
than live vaccines. Inactivated vaccines
can be made for viruses or bacteria.
For some diseases, a specific protein or
carbohydrate that induces a protective
immune response is isolated for use in a
vaccine. Influenza vaccines, for example,
may be made using proteins from the
surface of the virus. Pertussis vaccine is an
example of this type for bacteria. These
type of vaccines are called subunit
vaccines.