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Vaccine Booster Shot Effects

The human immune system is composed of different cells and tissues that aid in defending the body from infectious organisms, like viruses and bacteria. One remarkable aspect of the immune system is its "memory." This is an ability to react to infections faster and more effectively if the organism has been encountered previously. Vaccines provide that initial encounter without the need to develop the disease from the infectious organisms.

  1. The Immune System

    • The cells and tissues of the immune system are designed to respond to infections. The process begins when cells attack, engulf and digest the invading organism. The digested bits of the organism are presented to another set of cells that will make antibodies against those bits. The antibodies and the cells that produce them circulate in the body for months or years, depending on the type of organism against which they reacted.

    Immune Responses

    • The primary immune response is that in which the invading organism is new to the body. Non-specific responses are the first mobilized against the invaders, destroying them. More specific responses are launched when the organisms are encountered a second time and any time thereafter. These include the antibodies that are created to react specifically to that organism. There are some times, and some organisms, that do not trigger the creation of antibodies on the first exposure.

    Booster Vaccine

    • A booster vaccine is the second or third vaccine given to elicit that secondary and specific response. This is done to "trick" the body into thinking that the organism in the vaccine is a continuous threat, one for which the body should always be prepared. Examples of booster vaccines include the MMR, Tetanus and Pertussis (Whooping Cough). These boosters are given years after the initial vaccine to "remind" the body to be prepared.

    Anamnestic Immune Response

    • The secondary immune response is also known as an anamnestic immune response. This response is usually stronger than the initial response, producing more antibodies and making the immune system cells multiply rapidly. Not all anamnestic responses are good. Extreme allergic responses are anamnestic responses. The symptoms seen in those responses are the result of immune system cells and chemicals causing irritation to the skin, the respiratory tract, and, sometimes, to vital organs.

    Adjuvants

    • It is not always necessary to give booster vaccines when the initial vaccine creates enough of an immune response to confer lifetime immunity. This heavier immune response may be because of the nature of the organism itself. Scientists can add chemicals called adjuvants to vaccines to elicit that heavier immune response the first time the vaccine is given. This is because those adjuvants cause an enhanced immune response, thus eliminating the need for a booster vaccine.

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