Summary of types of specific immunity
Table 1.1 gives a summary of the four different types of specific immunity, with examples to illustrate each of them.
| Type of specific immunity | Example of how immunity might be acquired | |
|---|---|---|
| Naturally acquired immunity | Active | Infection |
| Passive | Maternal antibodies crossing the placenta, or in breastmilk | |
| Artificially acquired immunity | Active | Intentional exposure to antigens in a vaccine |
| Passive | Injection or transfusion of someone else’s antibodies | |
You give a polio vaccination containing polio antigens to a baby girl. What type of immunity will the child develop? Explain your answer.
Show answer
The child will develop artificially acquired active immunity. She was deliberately exposed to polio antigens in the vaccine, so her immunity is artificially acquired. She produced her own antibodies and memory cells directed against the polio antigens, so her immunity is active.
Last modified: Friday, 16 May 2014, 6:03 PM