Artificial immunity involves intentional exposure to a disease through vaccinations or antibodies. The first record of artificial immunity was with smallpox, and Louis Pasteur’s germ theory showed the body can fight specific diseases. Some diseases mutate, requiring multiple vaccinations, while others, like tetanus, only provide short-term immunity.
Artificial immunity is a means by which the body is given immunity to a disease through intentional exposure to small amounts of it. The most common form of artificial immunity is classified as active and comes in the form of vaccinations, typically given to children and young adults. The passive form of artificial immunity involves introducing an antibody into the system once a person is already infected with a disease, eventually relieving the disease’s current symptoms and preventing recurrence.
The first record of artificial immunity was in relation to a disease known as smallpox. Individuals were exposed to a minor strain of smallpox in a controlled environment. Once their bodies built natural immunity or resistance to the weakened strain of smallpox, they were much less likely to become infected with the more deadly strains of smallpox. Essentially, patients were given the disease to help them fight it off later in life. While this method was effective, scientists at the time had no real scientific understanding of why it worked.
Louis Pasteur was the famous inventor who created the germ theory of disease. His work showed that diseases are often transmitted by bacteria and that once the bacteria entered the body, there were several natural reactions that would begin to fight them off. Once the body had successfully rid itself of the disease, a second infection with the same bacteria would prove harmless. Pasteur’s theories demonstrated that once the body learns to fight specific diseases, it is able to prevent reinfection on its own.
One of the major complications with Pasteur’s theory of creating artificial immunity was that some diseases, such as smallpox, were caused by strains of bacteria that were capable of slowly mutating over time. The mutability of these bacteria has often resulted in the need for multiple vaccinations. As bacteria underwent major changes, a new vaccine would have to be developed to give people the ability to fight off new strains. This is the main reason why common illnesses, such as the flu, often require a new vaccination every year.
As for passive artificial immunity, there are some diseases, such as tetanus, that can only be vaccinated in the short term. Unlike a smallpox vaccination which can potentially protect the body from smallpox indefinitely, a tetanus vaccination only provides artificial immunity for a period of approximately seven years. The bacteria that cause the disease itself doesn’t necessarily mutate like the flu does; rather, the immunity that vaccination creates has a limited period of effectiveness.
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