Explain how vaccines work.

Vaccinations are an injection of small amount of a dead or weakened form of a pathogen that provoke a primary immune response. This causes the body to produce the correct antibodies to remove the pathogen. The production of these antibodies leads the production of memory cells that exist in the body for a long time. If the same pathogen enters the body again, these memory cells produce the correct antibody in what is known as the secondary immune response, which is much faster than the primary response and the patient shows no symptoms.

EM
Answered by Eleanor M. Biology tutor

3544 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Briefly explain how Darwin formulated his theory of evolution by natural selection.


What is osmosis and how does it differ from diffusion?


Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics. Explain how this may be prevented.


How do vaccinations help build immunity against diseases?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning