Immunization

This is artificial stimulation of antibody production to protect against pathogens. Active immunization is performed by injecting live or inactivated pathogens. Passive immunization is performed by injecting antiserum or antibodies obtained from pathogens in another organism. Repeated active immunization provides long-term immunity, passive immunization is effective only for a few weeks and cannot be repeated because foreign antibodies act as antigens. Therefore, passive immunization is used for short-term prevention or treatment.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė