Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 11
AQA
Foundation

Immunity and vaccination

I can describe what a vaccine is and how a vaccination works to create immunity.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
AQA
Foundation

Immunity and vaccination

I can describe what a vaccine is and how a vaccination works to create immunity.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. After exposure to a pathogen, memory cells remain in the body to provide immunity.
  2. Vaccination creates immunity by injecting a small amount of a dead or inactivated pathogen in a vaccine into the body.
  3. White blood cells mount an immune response by producing antibodies against the pathogen in the vaccine.
  4. Some of the white blood cells stay in the body as memory cells to provide immunity to the pathogen in the vaccine.
  5. Upon reinfection by the pathogen, memory cells respond by rapidly making antibodies against the pathogen.

Common misconception

Antibodies remain in the blood for years, which makes a person immune to a disease.

Antibodies don't stay in the body longer term, the memory cells do and they provide long lasting immunity against a pathogen.

Keywords

  • Immunity - Immunity is established after the body is first exposed to a pathogen's antigens, and enables white blood cells to respond quickly to the antigen when the body is re-exposed to it.

  • Antibodies - Proteins produced by white blood cells against specific pathogens.

  • Memory cells - White blood cells that remain in the blood and give lasting immunity to certain pathogens.

  • Vaccine - A formulation that contains an inactive pathogen, or parts of it.

  • Vaccination - The process of administering a vaccine to an individual to create immunity to a pathogen.

Students may ask about the safety of the MMR vaccine. It is not linked with autism - the study that suggested this was fundamentally flawed and no link has ever been made since. Risks and benefits of vaccination are evaluated in the next lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

None required.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Skip video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:antitoxin,produced by white blood cells to neutralise harmful chemicals

produced by white blood cells to neutralise harmful chemicals

Correct Answer:toxin,produced by some pathogens and make us feel unwell

produced by some pathogens and make us feel unwell

Correct Answer:antigen,molecule found on the surface of all cells

molecule found on the surface of all cells

Correct Answer:antibody,produced by white blood cells and causes pathogens to clump together

produced by white blood cells and causes pathogens to clump together

Q2.
Which of the following is a key part of the immune system?
brain
red blood cells
liver
Correct answer: white blood cells
heart
Q3.
Which of these do not help to protect us against pathogens?
lymphocytes
phagocytes
platelets
Correct answer: red blood cells
Q4.
Match each cell to what it does.
Correct Answer:phagocyte,can engulf and digest pathogens

can engulf and digest pathogens

Correct Answer:lymphocyte,can make specific antibodies that bind to antigens

can make specific antibodies that bind to antigens

Correct Answer:pathogen,infects the body and causes symptoms of illness

infects the body and causes symptoms of illness

Q5.
True or false? Antibodies are proteins.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: true
false
Q6.
Put these steps in order to explain how the body can remove harmful pathogens.
1 - Antigens on the cell surface of a pathogen are detected.
2 - Lymphocytes produce antibodies.
3 - Antibodies attach to the antigen on the surface of the pathogen.
4 - Pathogens are clumped together.
5 - Phagocytes engulf pathogens.
6 - Pathogens are digested by enzymes.
Q3 image 1 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock Q3 image 2 VectorMine/Shutterstock Q3 image 3 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock Q3 image 4 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock Q5 lymphocyte: Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What is immunity?
The ability to recognise an antigen the first time the body is exposed to it.
Correct answer: The ability to respond quickly to an antigen when the body is re-exposed to it.
The ability to engulf and digest a pathogen.
Q2.
Put these steps in the correct order to explain how a vaccine works.
1 - A dead or inactive form of the pathogen, or parts of it, are given as a vaccine.
2 - Lymphocytes make antibodies that are complementary to the pathogen's antigens.
3 - Phagocytes then destroy the inactive pathogen.
4 - Memory cells remain in the blood, providing immunity to the pathogen.
Q3.
Which type of blood cell remains in the blood after the first exposure to an antigen and provides immunity?
Correct answer: memory cell
phagocyte
bacterial cell
red blood cell
Q4.
What happens if a person is reinfected with the pathogen they were vaccinated against?
Memory cells are able to quickly produce a mutation.
Correct answer: Memory cells are able to quickly produce antibodies.
Memory cells are able to quickly produce antigens.
Q5.
True or false? Memory cells are lymphocytes.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: true
false
Q6.
Why is it difficult to make a single vaccine against influenza?
White blood cells mutate regularly so they no longer recognise influenza.
Correct answer: Antigens on the pathogen mutate regularly so memory cells can't respond as well.
Antibodies mutate when they encounter influenza and become harmful to the body.
Q3 image 1 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock Q3 image 2 VectorMine/Shutterstock Q3 image 4 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock Q5 Aldona Griskeviciene/Shutterstock