Question

Who discovered ‘vaccine’ for the first time? Name two diseases that can be prevented by using vaccines.

Answer 1

Vaccine is derived from the word ‘Variolae vaccinae (smallpox of the cow). This term was devised by Edward Jenner.

Complete answer:
Edward Jenner was the first to discover a vaccine against smallpox. The vaccine is defined as the suspension of weakened, killed, or fragmented microorganisms or toxins or of antibodies or lymphocytes. Vaccines are administered primarily to prevent disease.
The first vaccine was introduced by a British physician, Edward Jenner, in 1796. He used the cowpox virus (vaccinia) to confer protection against smallpox, in humans. Several vaccines have been developed against diseases including mumps, measles, typhoid fever, cholera, plague, tuberculosis, pneumococcal infection, tetanus, influenza, etc. The vaccine helps our immune system to recognize and destroy the living microbe during a future infection.
There are four main types of vaccines:
-Live-attenuated vaccines.
-Inactivated vaccines.
-Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines.
-Toxoid vaccines.

Weakened, or attenuated, vaccines consist of microorganisms that do not cause any serious illness but retain the ability to stimulate immunity.
Measles and Polio can be prevented by using vaccines.

Note: It is to be noted that immunity provides resistance to the body against diseases. Immunity occurs due to the presence of antibodies in our body for the disease-causing microorganisms known as antigens. When these antigens enter our body, antibodies are formed against these antigens, which prevent the disease.