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Vaccination is one of the most important medical advances in human history. This lesson explains how vaccines work, why they are important, and the arguments for and against vaccination programmes — all as required by the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy specification (8464).
Vaccination involves introducing a small quantity of dead or inactive forms of a pathogen into the body to stimulate the immune system.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vaccine | A preparation containing dead or inactive pathogens (or parts of pathogens) |
| Vaccination | The process of introducing a vaccine into the body, usually by injection |
| Immunisation | The process by which a person becomes immune to a disease (vaccination is one way to achieve this) |
Exam Tip: The specification says vaccines contain "dead or inactivated" forms of a pathogen. Never say the vaccine contains "live, active" pathogens — this would cause the disease.
Vaccines work by triggering the immune system without causing the disease:
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