Immunization

As immunization, the introduction of an immunogen in the body of a higher animal or human is called that triggers an immune response. If this is for the purpose of bringing the immune system by pathogens in contact so that it is then protected against the infectious disease, the immunization is referred to as vaccine. We distinguish active from passive immunization.

By definition, it is also at the silent Feiung to immunization, only that the immune response of the body takes place in the context of an asymptomatic infection.

The principle of immunization was recognized among others by the researcher Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. 1890 developed Emil von Behring and Kitasato Shibasaburo the first healing vaccination against diphtheria.

Active immunization

With an active immunization or vaccination attenuated pathogens are preventively injected, which stimulate the immune system of the vaccinated to produce antibodies. It is important that the immune system produces to fight the vaccine also memory cells. They are durable and produce for many years, sometimes for life, that the body can quickly produce antibodies in large numbers in an actual infection with the pathogen. Thus, the outbreak of infectious disease is greatly reduced or completely prevented.

Passive immunization

In passive immunization or vaccination healing is an emergency measure to protect in an unvaccinated person after pathogen contact before infection. ( Post-exposure prophylaxis). Here, the body can be injected immediately after excitation Contact antibodies from animal or genetic technology, because the natural antibody formation takes at least a week. The disadvantage is, firstly, that the protection lasts only a few weeks, then the antibodies are removed. For the second there is a risk that the antibodies are recognized as foreign protein against which the antibody vaccinated in turn forms. In a new passive immunization then the vaccination serum would be eliminated.