Follow us On YouTube Follow us On FaceBook



or
Search Language
Browse
Medical Animations
Medical Animation Titles
Custom Legal Animations
Patient Health Articles
Most Recent Uploads
Body Systems/Regions
Anatomy & Physiology
Diseases & Conditions
Diagnostics & Surgery
Cells & Tissues
Cardiovascular System
Digestive System
Integumentary System
Nervous System
Reproductive System
Respiratory System
Back and Spine
Foot and Ankle
Head and Neck
Hip
Knee
Shoulder
Thorax
Medical Specialties
Cancer
Cardiology
Dentistry
Editorial
Neurology/Neurosurgery
Ob/Gyn
Orthopedics
Pediatrics
Account
Administrator Login

Immunization: How Vaccines Work - Medical Animation

 

This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.

Ready to License?

Item #ANH20241 — Source #1

Order by phone: (800) 338-5954

Immunization: How Vaccines Work - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Immunization is the process of becoming immune to or protected against a disease usually by receiving a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate your immune system to protect you from certain diseases so you won't get sick or get an infection. Normally, the organs and cells of your immune system defend your body from harmful germs, such as bacteria and viruses. Immune cells are constantly circulating through your body. They monitor certain substances on the surfaces of cells called antigens. Healthy cells have different antigens than diseased body cells or foreign invaders in the body. Immune cells usually ignore the antigens on healthy cells. But when immune cells come across antigens on germs, they destroy the germ. Afterward, the immune cell displays the germ's antigen on its surface. This activates other types of immune cells to help get rid of the infection. For example, some activated immune cells recognize the antigen on infected body cells and then destroy them. Other activated immune cells, called plasma cells, make molecules called antibodies. These antibodies travel through your body and lock on only to germs that have its specific antigen. This marks the germ for destruction. Then other immune cells attack the germs that have these antibodies. Once the infection is gone, some of the immune cells that were exposed to the antigen become memory immune cells. In the future, if the same type of germ infects your body again, the memory immune cells will be ready to destroy it so you don't get sick. This is called natural immunity. In many cases, it will last your whole lifetime. The problem with getting natural immunity from having the disease itself is that some naturally acquired infections can cause serious complications or may even be deadly. For example, polio can result in permanent paralysis or death. Measles can cause swelling of the brain resulting in permanent brain damage or death, especially in children under age 5. And whooping cough also known as pertussis can cause complications such as pneumonia, slowed or stopped breathing, and death, especially in babies under 1 year of age. While symptoms may not be severe in all people, it's not possible to know who will be affected enough to become very ill or even die. Vaccines can protect you from getting these diseases and their harmful symptoms. Vaccines often contain a small amount of weakened or killed germs, but some contain genetic material such as RNA or DNA that provide instructions for your body's own cells to make the germ's antigen. Usually, you receive a vaccine as a shot. Inside your body, the germ particles in the vaccine teach your immune cells to attack these germs. This process doesn't make you sick, but it does cause your body to make memory cells and antibodies for those germs. As a result, if that germ infects your body later in life, your immune system is ready to fight the infection so that you don't get sick. The main types of vaccines include: live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, toxoid vaccines, subunit and conjugate vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and viral vector vaccines. Live attenuated vaccines use alive but weakened germs. They're most like a natural infection and provide a strong disease immunity, examples are the measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and flu nasal spray vaccines. Inactivated vaccines use inactive or killed germs. You may need several doses or booster shots over time. Examples are the hepatitis A, flu, polio, and rabies vaccines. Toxoid vaccines protect against harmful substances made by germs called toxins. They use weakened versions of the toxins called toxoids. You may need booster shots to maintain protection against diseases. Examples are the diphtheria and tetanus parts of the DTaP vaccine. Subunit and conjugate vaccines use only a specific part of a germ. They provide strong immunity to that key part of the germ. These vaccines may also require booster shot. Examples are the pertussis part of the DTaP vaccine and the hepatitis B vaccine. Instead of using germs or toxins, mRNA vaccines contain a special type of RNA called messenger RNA or mRNA. mRNA instructs your cells to make the germ's antigen, which triggers an immune response. These vaccines do not carry live virus and do not change your DNA. Examples are certain COVID-19 vaccines. Viral vector vaccines may use either DNA or mRNA to provide cells with instructions to make a germ's antigen. The genetic material is wrapped in a different safe virus to take the instructions into your cells. These vaccines do not change your DNA. Examples are certain COVID-19 vaccines. It's important to know that vaccines not only protect you, but your community as well. Many diseases that vaccines prevent are spread from person to person. When only a few people in your community are vaccinated, the risk of a disease outbreak is high. But if most people are vaccinated, it's much less likely for a disease to spread. This is called community or herd immunity. Herd immunity is especially important to protect people who can't be vaccinated. This includes people with weakened immune systems, serious allergies, or other health conditions. Vaccines protect you, your family, and your community from diseases that can be dangerous or even deadly. To find out more about vaccines, talk to your health-care provider.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO REVIEW THESE ITEMS:
Immunization and Vaccines
Immunization and Vaccines - ANH20241S101
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
How are Angiograms Used to Find Coronary Artery Blockages?
How are Angiograms Used to Find Coronary Artery Blockages? - ANCE00178S102
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
How Does an Angioplasty Open Arteries in the Heart?
How Does an Angioplasty Open Arteries in the Heart? - ANCE00178S103
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
How Does the Cervix Change During Ovulation?
How Does the Cervix Change During Ovulation? - ANH12063S103
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
How Do Sperm Cells Enter the Egg?
How Do Sperm Cells Enter the Egg? - ANH12063S104
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
How Do Sperm and Egg Cells Combine During Fertilization?
How Do Sperm and Egg Cells Combine During Fertilization? - ANH12063S106
Medical Animation
Add to my lightbox
Find More Like This
This exhibit is available in these languages:
What attorneys say about MLA and The Doe Report:
"A few words about The Doe Report: recently in a brachial plexus injury case, we used an image from The Doe Report to demonstrate the injury. We downloaded the PDF file image, and were amazed at the quality. The hard copies that you sent were even more clear. As well, we could not have been happier when you customized the image and reversed the injury from the left shoulder to the right shoulder, which is where our client's injury was.

The speed and cost-effectiveness of the product made it the perfect tool for our purposes. We will use The Doe Report again in future cases."

Andrew Needle
Needle Gallagher & Ellenberg, P.A.
Miami, FL

"I would like to thank all of you at Medical Legal Art for all the assistance you provided. It was a result of the excellent, timely work that we were able to conclude the case successfully.

I feel very confident that our paths will cross again."

Fritz G. Faerber
Faerber & Anderson, P.C.
St. Louis, MO

"Thank you for the splendid medical-legal art work you did for us in the case of a young girl who was blinded by a bb pellet. As a result of your graphic illustrations of this tragic injury, we were able to persuade the insurance company to increase their initial offer of $75,000.00 to $475,000.00, just short of their policy limits.

We simply wanted you to know how pleased we were with your work which, to repeat, was of superlative character, and to let you know that we would be more than willing to serve as a reference in case you ever need one. Many thanks for an extraordinary and dramatic depiction of a very serious injury which clearly "catapulted" the insurance company's offer to a "full and fair" amount to settle this case."

Philip C. Coulter
Coulter &Coulter
Roanoke, VA

"We are extremely pleased with the quality of the medical exhibits and the timely manner in which they were provided. I will certainly recommend your company to my business associates who could benefit from your services. Please tell Brian Wilson [Director of Content Development, Senior Medical Illustrator] that he did an exceptional job on these exhibits."

K. Henderson
Dunaway and Associates
Anderson, SC













Awards | Resources | Articles | Become an Affiliate | Free Medical Images | Pregnancy Videos
Credits | Jobs | Help | Medical Legal Blog | Find a Lawyer | Hospital Marketing