vaccine

Also known as vaccines

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and recognize further and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the

AI overview

A vaccine is a biological preparation containing a weakened or killed disease-causing microorganism (or its components) that trains your immune system to recognize and fight that specific disease. Vaccines matter because they provide protection against infectious and malignant diseases, and their safety and effectiveness have been widely studied and verified.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical intervention (new).name: Vaccine
Medical intervention (new).image: Smallpox vaccine.jpg
Medical intervention (new).caption: Smallpox vaccine and equipment for administering it
Medical intervention (new).MeshID: D014612

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

593,686 papers

Addressing HPV vaccine myths: practical information for healthcare providers.ReviewHuman vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2019Bednarczyk RADOI: 10.1080/21645515.2019.1565267
Vaccine hesitancy and healthcare providers.ReviewVaccine · 2016Paterson P, Meurice F, Stanberry LR et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.042
A systematic review of factors affecting vaccine uptake in young children.Vaccine · 2017Smith LE, Amlôt R, Weinman J et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.09.046
[Vaccine-associated adverse events in cats].ReviewTierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere · 2025Weidinger AK, Hartmann K, Bergmann MDOI: 10.1055/a-2514-1323
Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan: From a Perspective on Medical Uncertainty and Trans-Scientific Theory.ReviewF1000Research · 2022Hosoda MDOI: 10.12688/f1000research.125159.2
Vaccine-preventable diseases in Europe: where do we stand?ReviewExpert review of vaccines · 2014Wicker S, Maltezou HCDOI: 10.1586/14760584.2014.933077
The HPV vaccine mandate controversy.ReviewJournal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology · 2007Haber G, Malow RM, Zimet GDDOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2007.03.101
Dismissal policies for vaccine refusal among US physicians: a literature review.ReviewHuman vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2020Garcia TB, O'Leary STDOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1724742

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Smallpox vaccine.jpg

Show 4 more facts

hashtag: vaccines
Commons category: Vaccines
Commons gallery: Vaccine
NCI Thesaurus ID: C923

Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~53 min read

Article

48 sections

Contents

Effectiveness
Limitations
Safety
Types
Attenuated
Inactivated
Toxoid
Subunit
Conjugate
Outer membrane vesicle
Heterotypic
Genetic vaccine
Viral vector
RNA
DNA
Experimental
Valence
Interactions
Other contents
Adjuvants
Preservatives
Excipients
Nomenclature
Licensing
World Health Organization
European Union
United States
India
Postmarketing surveillance
Scheduling
Economics of development
Patents
Production
Vaccine manufacturers
Delivery systems
Oral vaccines
Microneedle vaccines
Dermal patch vaccines
In veterinary medicine
DIVA vaccines
History
Generations of vaccines
Trends
Plants as bioreactors for vaccine production
Vaccine hesitancy
References
Further reading
External links

Vaccines can be prophylactic (to prevent or alleviate the effects of a future infection by a natural or "wild" pathogen), or therapeutic (to fight a disease that has already occurred, such as cancer). Some vaccines offer full sterilizing immunity, in which infection is prevented.