Immunity and Disease Prevention

📚 Key Concepts

🔹 Immune System

Definition: The natural ability of our body to fight diseases is called immunity.

Types of Immunity:

1. Natural/Innate Immunity:
   • Present from birth
   • First line of defense
   • Includes skin, mucus, stomach acid
2. Acquired Immunity:
   • Developed after exposure to pathogens
   • Can be active or passive
   • Memory cells provide long-term protection

🔹 Vaccines and Vaccination

What are Vaccines? Vaccines help our body fight certain diseases by training the immune system to recognize and attack harmful germs.

Types of Vaccines:

1. Live Attenuated: Weakened live pathogens
2. Inactivated: Dead pathogens
3. Subunit: Parts of pathogens
4. mRNA: Instructions to make pathogen proteins

Importance of Vaccination:

• Prevents serious diseases
• Reduces spread of infections
• Saves millions of lives
• Creates community immunity

🔹 Historical Perspective

Edward Jenner and Smallpox Vaccine:

• First vaccine developed in late 1700s
• Used cowpox to protect against smallpox
• Led to complete eradication of smallpox

Traditional Indian Practices:

• Variolation: Ancient method of immunization
• Teekedaars: People who practiced variolation
• Used material from smallpox sores for protection