How Vaccines Are Made

Edward Jenner was successful in using vaccine to prevent the diseases causing because of virus and bacterial. Vaccines are very useful to increase our immunization capacity. They protect us from horrifying diseases. Now it is fact that some diseases like plague, small pox are totally eradicated because of vaccines. If we know how vaccines work to prevent us against diseases, we can easily understand how vaccines are made.

Virus which causes the outbreak of disease is used to prepare vaccine. First it is weakened and given to human body through an injection. Our immune system attacks the virus and other microorganisms. Hence the antibodies to fight the virus of particular disease are developed in our body so our body will kill the virus of that particular disease if there is any infection. Of course this happens with a person with healthy immune system.

Now the technology for vaccine development has changed a lot from 1700. Nowadays vaccines available are both live and inactivated virus vaccines. Vaccines are of two types viral and bacterial. These are called first generation vaccines. Again vaccines can be Inactivated and Attenuated.

Inactivated vaccines are prepared by weakening or killing the virus or bacteria which causes the disease. They are mild and helpful for long lasting immune system development. Technology for vaccine development has changed a lot from 1700. Nowadays vaccines available are both live and inactivated virus vaccines. Virus are inactivated or killed with formaldehyde. Cell cultures are grown in presence of inorganic, salts, amino acids, vitamins, dextrose, antibiotics, calf serum. then it is filtered, diluted and stabilized. Ultimate vaccine may include alcohol, antibiotics, detergents and organic solvents.

Bacterial Vaccines are Pertussis, Haemophilus Influenza B, Mengcoccal, Pneumococcal, TB, Typhoid, Plague, Cholera Vaccine.

Whooping cough vaccine has dead cells whereas TB vaccine has live bacteria.

Attenuated organisms give higher immunity than the immunity given by inactivated organisms. Live organisms multiply in the body thus increasing the dose of antigen.

But it may cause health hazard due to its capacity to multiply.

Bacteria are grown on medium and then incubated, separated from medium. Saline solution is added and bacteria are killed by heat or germ killing agents. Preservatives are added like phenol, thimersol, 2-phenoxyethanol.

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