Inactivated vaccine | |
---|---|
Other names | Killed vaccine Non-replicating vaccines |
Specialty | Public health, Immunology, Family medicine, General practice |
Uses | prevention of infectious diseases |
Frequency | birth to adulthood |
Outcomes | development of active immunity in individuals; contribution to herd immunity |
An inactivated vaccine (or killed vaccine) is a type of vaccine that contains pathogens (such as virus or bacteria) that have been killed or rendered inactive, so they cannot replicate or cause disease. In contrast, live vaccines use pathogens that are still alive (but are almost always attenuated, that is, weakened). Pathogens for inactivated vaccines are grown under controlled conditions and are killed as a means to reduce infectivity and thus prevent infection from the vaccine.[1]
Inactivated vaccines were first developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s for cholera, plague, and typhoid.[2] In 1897, Japanese scientists developed an inactivated vaccine for the bubonic plague. In the 1950's, Jonas Salk created an inactivated vaccine for the poliovirus, creating the first vaccine that was both safe and effective against polio. Today, inactivated vaccines exist for many pathogens, including influenza, polio (IPV), rabies, hepatitis A, CoronaVac, Covaxin and pertussis.[3][4][5]
Because inactivated pathogens tend to produce a weaker response by the immune system than live pathogens, immunologic adjuvants and multiple "booster" injections may be required in some vaccines to provide an effective immune response against the pathogen.[1][6][7] Attenuated vaccines are often preferable for generally healthy people because a single dose is often safe and very effective. However, some people cannot take attenuated vaccines because the pathogen poses too much risk for them (for example, elderly people or people with immunodeficiency). For those patients, an inactivated vaccine can provide protection.[citation needed]
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