Question

Vaccine is not a serum.

(a) True

(b) False

I have been asked this question in a national level competition.

The doubt is from Methods Used for the Cultivation of Animal Cells in division Bioprocess Considerations in Using Animal Cell Cultures of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(a) True

Explanation: A vaccine and a serum are different in their composition and function:

• Vaccine: A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. It typically contains killed or weakened forms of the pathogen (such as bacteria or viruses) or parts of the pathogen (like proteins), which stimulate the immune system to recognize and fight off the disease if encountered in the future.

• Serum: Serum, on the other hand, is the component of blood that is obtained after clotting, containing water, proteins, electrolytes, antibodies, and other substances. A serum can contain antibodies and is typically used for passive immunity, meaning it provides immediate protection by transferring antibodies from an immune individual to a non-immune one.

Thus, vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to produce an immune response, while serums provide immediate immunity via pre-formed antibodies.