There are several different types of vaccines. Each type is designed to teach an individual’s immune system how to fight off certain kinds of germs — and the serious diseases these germs may cause.
When scientists create vaccines, they consider:
- How the immune system responds to the germ
- Who needs to be vaccinated against the germ
- The best technology or approach to create the vaccine
Based on a number of these factors, scientists decide which type of vaccine they will make. There are four main types of vaccines:
- Live-attenuated vaccines
- Inactivated vaccines
- Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines
- Toxoid vaccines
Live vaccines
Live vaccines use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the germ that causes a disease.
Because these vaccines are so similar to the natural infection that they help prevent, they create a strong and long-lasting immune response.
Live vaccines are used to protect against:
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined vaccine)
• Rotavirus
• Smallpox
• Chickenpox
• Yellow fever
Inactivated vaccines
Inactivated vaccines use the killed version of the germ that causes a disease.
Inactivated vaccines usually don’t provide immunity (protection) that’s as strong as live vaccines. Therefore, you may need several doses over time (booster shots) in order to achieve ongoing immunity against diseases.
Inactivated vaccines are used to protect against:
- Hepatitis A
- Flu (shot only)
- Polio (shot only)
- Rabies
Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines
Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines use specific pieces of the germ — like its protein, sugar or capsid (a casing around the germ).
Because these vaccines use only specific parts of the germ, they give a very strong immune response that’s targeted to key parts of the germ. They can also be used on almost everyone who needs them, including people with weakened immune systems and long-term health issues.
These vaccines are used to protect against:
- Hepatitis B
- HPV (Human papillomavirus)
- Whooping cough (part of the DTaP combined vaccine)
- Pneumococcal disease
- Meningococcal disease
- Shingles
Toxoid vaccines
Toxoid vaccines use a toxin (harmful product) made by the germ that causes a disease. They create immunity to the parts of the germ that cause a disease instead of the germ itself. That means the immune response is targeted to the toxin instead of the whole germ.
Toxoid vaccines are used to protect against:
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
Side effects
All vaccines carry some type of risk for side effects. From mild to severe, all types of vaccines may cause swelling, inflammation, or more series side effects like allergic reaction, or in rare cases, death.
We work with individuals to help them receive compensation when they experience adverse reactions to vaccines. If you or a loved one has had complications from a vaccine, contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.
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