Dr. Schreiber of San Augustine giving a typhoid inoculation at a rural school, San Augustine County, Texas. Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.Immunization, or<unk> , is the process by which an individual's<unk> e system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the<unk> ogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called non-self, it will orchestrate an<unk> e response, and it will also develop the ability to quickly respond to a subsequent encounter because of<unk> ological memory. This is a function of the adaptive<unk> e system. Therefore, by exposing a human, or an animal, to an<unk> ogen in a controlled way, its body can learn to protect itself: this is called active<unk> . The most important elements of the<unk> e system that are improved by<unk>  are the T cells, B cells, and the antibodies B cells produce. Memory B cells and memory T cells are responsible for a swift response to a second encounter with a foreign molecule. Passive<unk>  is direct introduction of these elements into the body, instead of production of these elements by the body itself.<unk>  is done through various techniques, most commonly vaccination. Vaccines against microorganisms that cause diseases can prepare the body's<unk> e system, thus helping to fight or prevent an infection. The fact that mutations can cause cancer cells to produce proteins or other molecules that are known to the body forms the theoretical basis for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Other molecules can be used for<unk>  as well, for example in experimental vaccines against nicotine (NicVAX) or the hormone ghrelin in experiments to create an obesity vaccine.<unk> s are often widely stated as less risky and an easier way to become<unk> e to a particular disease than risking a milder form of the disease itself. They are important for both adults and children in that they can protect us from the many diseases out there.<unk>  not only protects children against deadly diseases but also helps in developing children's<unk> e systems. Through the use of<unk> s, some infections and diseases have almost completely been eradicated throughout the World. One example is polio. Thanks to dedicated health care professionals and the parents of children who vaccinated on schedule, polio has been eliminated in the U.S. since 1979. Polio is still found in other parts of the world so certain people could still be at risk of getting it. This includes those people who have never had the vaccine, those who didn't receive all doses of the vaccine, or those traveling to areas of the world where polio is still prevalent. Active<unk> /vaccination has been named one of the "Ten Great Public Health Achievements in the 20th Century".
Immunization
Vaccination
Premedication
Protective isolation
Vaccine
Detoxification
Intoxication
Animal vaccination