In the study of immunity, vaccination is synonymous with which term?

In the study of immunity, vaccination is synonymous with which term?

• A. Immunization
• B. Infection
• C. Diagnosis
• D. Therapy

Answer: (A)

Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine to stimulate the immune system, while immunization is the resulting protection—the state of being immune due to that immune activation. In the study of immunity, these terms are used interchangeably because the goal of vaccination is to produce immunization: the immune system develops memory cells (B and T cells) that respond quickly to future encounters with the pathogen. Infection can also trigger immunity, but it’s not vaccination; diagnosis identifies disease, and therapy treats existing disease.

Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine to stimulate the immune system, while immunization is the resulting protection—the state of being immune due to that immune activation. In the study of immunity, these terms are used interchangeably because the goal of vaccination is to produce immunization: the immune system develops memory cells (B and T cells) that respond quickly to future encounters with the pathogen. Infection can also trigger immunity, but it’s not vaccination; diagnosis identifies disease, and therapy treats existing disease.