It is established within a few hours but is not specific for a particular pathogen and has no memory. Innate immunity is the first line of defence against pathogens that have entered the body.

Vaccines, like natural infections, act by initiating an innate immune response, which in turn activates an antigen-specific adaptive immune response. This review explains the mode of action, benefits, risks and real-life impact of vaccines by highlighting key vaccine concepts.Īn improved knowledge and understanding of the main vaccine designs and concepts of protection will help support the appropriate use and expectations of vaccines, increase confidence in the science of vaccination, and help reduce vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines may contain live-attenuated pathogens, inactivated pathogens, or only parts of pathogens and may also contain adjuvants to stimulate the immune responses. This review aims to provide healthcare professionals with background information about the main vaccine designs and concepts of protection in a simplified way to improve their knowledge and understanding, and increase their confidence in the science of vaccination ( Supplementary Material).ĭifferent vaccine designs, each with different advantages and limitations, can be applied for protection against a particular disease. Understanding the basic concepts of different vaccines is therefore crucial to understand their mode of action, benefits, risks, and their potential real-life impact on protection. Depending on the biology of the infection, the disease to be prevented, and the targeted population, a vaccine may require the induction of different adaptive immune mechanisms to be effective.

Vaccines are considered to be one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

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