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Induced Immunityc
Immunity occurs naturally through infection or is brought
about artificially (induced) by medical intervention. The two
types of induced immunity are active and passive. In
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cthe individual alone produces antibodies against
an antigen; in  c
cthe individual is given prepared
antibodies via an injection.

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Active immunity sometimes develops naturally after a person
is infected with a pathogen. However, active immunity is often
induced when a person is well so that future infection will not
take place. To prevent infections, people are immunized artificially
against them. The United States is committed to immunizing
all children against the common types of childhood
disease, as discussed in the Medical Focus on page 267.
 cinvolves the use of 


csubstances
that contain an antigen to which the immune system responds.
Traditionally, vaccines are the pathogens themselves,
or their products, that have been treated so they are no longer
virulent (able to cause disease). Today, it is possible to genetically
engineer bacteria to mass-produce a protein from
pathogens, and this protein can be used as a vaccine. This
method has now produced a vaccine against hepatitis B, a viral-
induced disease, and is being used to prepare a vaccine
against malaria, a protozoan-induced disease.
After a vaccine is given, it is possible to follow an immune
response by determining the amount of antibody present in a
sample of plasma²this is called the  ccAfter the
first exposure to a vaccine, a primary response occurs. For a period
of several days, no antibodies are present; then the titer rises
slowly, levels off, and gradually declines as the antibodies bind
to the antigen or simply break down (Fig. 13.9). After a second
exposure to the vaccine, a secondary response is expected. The
titer rises rapidly to a level much greater than before; then it
slowly declines. The second exposure is called a ³booster´ because
it boosts the antibody titer to a high level. The high antibody
titer now is expected to help prevent disease symptoms
even if the individual is exposed to the disease-causing antigen.
Active immunity is dependent upon the presence of memory
B cells and memory T cells that are capable of responding to
lower doses of antigen. Active immunity is usually long-lasting,
although a booster may be required every so many years.
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Passive immunity occurs when an individual is given prepared
antibodies (immunoglobulins) to combat a disease.
Since these antibodies are not produced by the individual¶s
plasma cells, passive immunity is temporary. For example,
newborn infants are passively immune to some diseases because
antibodies have crossed the placenta from the mother¶s
blood. These antibodies soon disappear, however, so that
within a few months, infants become more susceptible to infections.
Breast-feeding prolongs the natural passive immunity
an infant receives from the mother because antibodies
are present in the mother¶s milk (Fig. 13.10).
Even though passive immunity does not last, it is sometimes
used to prevent illness in a patient who has been unexpectedly
exposed to an infectious disease. Usually, the patient
receives a gamma globulin injection (serum that contains antibodies),
perhaps taken from individuals who have recovered
from the illness. In the past, horses were immunized, and serumc