A technique used to cause an immune response that results in resistance to a specific disease, especially an infectious disease.

Deliberate induction of host immunity.

Deliberate stimulation of the host's immune response. ACTIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of ANTIGENS or IMMUNOLOGIC ADJUVANTS. PASSIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of IMMUNE SERA or LYMPHOCYTES or their extracts (e.g., transfer factor, immune RNA) or transplantation of immunocompetent cell producing tissue (thymus or bone marrow).

Injection of harmless bacteria or viruses to spur the body to produce antibodies so it can resist a particular disease.

Inoculating an individual with either killed or live agents to prevent contraction of a disease.

Shots may hurt a little, but the diseases they can prevent are a lot worse. Some are even life-threatening. Immunization shots, or vaccinations, are essential. They protect against things like measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Immunizations are important for adults as well as children. Your immune system helps your body fight germs by producing substances to combat them. Once it does, the immune system "remembers" the germ and can fight it again. Vaccines contain germs that have been killed or weakened. When given to a healthy person, the vaccine triggers the immune system to respond and thus build immunity. Before vaccines, people became immune only by actually getting a disease and surviving it. Immunizations are an easier and less risky way to become immune.

The introduction of an immunogen with the intent of stimulating an immune response, aimed at preventing subsequent infections by more viable agents.

Immunity can be achieved: Actively by using antigens (eg, vaccines, toxoids); or Passively by using antibodies (eg, immune globulins, antitoxins).

Immunization, process by which resistance to disease is acquired or induced in plants and animals. This discussion focuses on immunization against infectious diseases in vertebrate animals, specifically humans. Immunization may occur naturally, as when a person is exposed unintentionally to a...