Vaccines

The race for a Covid-19 vaccine: vocabulary to know

Here are the most important words you should know when reading about vaccines.

by JoAnna Wendel
Close up of a Doctor making a vaccination in the shoulder of patient.
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Adaptive (or Acquired) Immunity: Immune response (such as activation of T-cells or antibodies) that occurs after the body has previously been exposed to an unknown or foreign substance, like a virus or bacteria.

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Adjuvant: A substance added to a vaccine that helps it boost the body’s adaptive immune response to a pathogen like a virus or harmful bacteria.

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