Types of Immunity: Active, Passive, Herd and How to Boost - Femina
If there's one word we've been hearing too much of since the previous year, then it has to be 'immunity'. Ever since the global pandemic hit, people everywhere were queuing outside medical stores to get their vitamin pills and of course, who can forget the uncountable different takes on the age-old kadha concoctions and turmeric milk. It's pretty safe to conclude that it took one global pandemic to make people realise the value of immunity and how it really helps the human body. Continue reading to understand what is active and passive immunity.
Immunity, in simple terms, is the body's ability to protect itself from an infectious disease. The term - you are immune to a disease means that your immune system is strong enough to fight off infection from it. Active and passive are two types of immunity that we will learn about in this article.
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1. Active Immunity
2. Passive Immunity
3. Herd Immunity
4. Types Of Immune Response
5. How To Boost Immunity?
6. Active And Passive Immunity FAQs
Active Immunity
Active immunity is of two types: Natural immunity and Vaccine-induced immunity. It happens when a person is exposed to a disease organism and the immune system is triggered to produce antibodies to that disease. In simple terms, active immunity results when the body is exposed to the disease organism infection with the actual disease and the body has no option but to produce anti-bodies to the said disease.
Antibodies are disease-specific, which means that each antibody protects the body from only one disease agent. For example, the antibodies produced when the body detects the virus that causes mumps will not provide any defense against cold or flu viruses.
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Vaccine-induced immunity happens when the body is introduced to a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination. Either way, when an immune person comes into contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will recognise it and immediately produce the antibodies needed to fight it.
For example, when a person is administered a vaccine shot for coronavirus, the person's immune system detects the weakened or dead pathogen and it begins to take steps to destroy it. The process includes forming new antibodies and memory cells specific to that pathogen.
In the future, if the body is exposed to a said pathogen, antibodies will be created to protect the body. This is also known as artificial active immunity and vaccines are usually injected into a body. Vaccination and immunity are essential for keeping large populations of people safe from infectious diseases. Needless to add that active immunity is long-lasting and sometimes life-long.
Tip: There are misconceptions that vaccinations don't help. That is not true. Consult a doctor if you have any doubts, but vaccines are very beneficial!
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Passive Immunity
Passive immunity is protection from a disease provided by antibodies created outside of the body. Passive immunity is provided when a person is given antibodies to a disease rather than producing them through his or her own immune system. Passive immunity does not require previous exposure to a disease agent and takes effect immediately. However, passive immunity is not long-lasting and only lasts up to a few months. Passive immunity is of two types- maternal or artificial.
Maternal passive immunity is also referred to as natural passive immunity. It is the type of immunity that is passed along from mother to child. Before the child is born, antibodies are passed through the placenta to protect the child from illness. And after birth, an infant continues to receive passive immunity to disease from antibodies found in breast milk.
Artificial passive immunity comes from injected antibodies created within a different person or an animal. These antibody-containing preparations are termed antiserum.
Tip: As passive immunity is short-term, you need to work on your innate immunity by eating right and proper medication as prescribed by the doctor.
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Herd Immunity
Apart from active and passive immunity, there's herd immunity which is achieved through active or passive ones. Herd immunity means when most of a population is immune to an infectious disease, this provides population immunity- to those who are not immune to the disease. An example for the same could be if 80 percent of a particular population is immune to polio, four out of every five people who encounter someone with the disease won't get sick and won't spread the disease any further. Thankfully, due to this, the spread of infectious diseases is kept under control.
Depending on how contagious infection is, usually, 50 percent to 90 percent of the population needs immunity before infection rates start to decline. This is why it is important to get as many people as possible vaccinated against a particular disease provided that the vaccine for it is available. Once herd immunity has been established for a while, and the ability of the disease to spread is hindered, the disease can eventually be eliminated.
Tip: The higher the immunity, the more the benefit! So, ensure you intake the right type and amount of nutrients that help your immune system.
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Types Of Immune Response
After discussing active and passive immunity and its types, let's have a look at the types of immune responses. There are two different types of immune response: innate and adaptive.
The innate response happens quickly. Innate immune cells that are circulating throughout your body help in detecting the virus. Their response is broad-spectrum and it typically involves inflammation. Cells of the innate response will also alert the cells involved in the adaptive response. This means that the adaptive response occurs later on in the course of an infection.
While the innate response is broad, the adaptive response is specific. The cells involved are specialised and also have the ability to recognize very particular characteristics of this viral antigen, and can tell if they have encountered this virus before. The adaptive response is what's responsible for immune memory.
Tip: Immunity helps fight infections and viruses. Keeping it high is important for being healthy.
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How To Boost Immunity?
While you can't boost your passive immunity at home, you can certainly boost your active immunity- your body's natural immunity. Here's how you can keep your immune system healthy:
Healthy diet: A well-balanced diet is crucial for good health. Ensure to eat your green leafy vegetables and add citrus fruits, garlic and turmeric to your diet as they are known to boost the immune system. Also, keep in mind to eat your meals on time as skipping meals or eating at odd hours is bound to have an impact on your health.
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Workout: Doesn't matter if you're busy working from home the entire day or lazying around at home, getting a little workout every day is extremely important in order to stay fit. Workouts also improve your mood and help keep your immune system strong so make sure to develop and maintain an exercise routine daily.
Destress: Apart from putting you in a foul mood, all work and no play can also have impacted your immune system negatively. Find out what you enjoy- be it reading a book, watching a funny movie or even cooking and take out the time to indulge. You can even practise yoga or meditation as it's a proven way of helping one de-stress.
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Sleep: A lot has been said about this pointer. Not getting enough sleep does weaken your immune system and will also have adverse effects on your health. Ensure to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night.
Quit smoking: If you're one who cannot stay without a pack of cigarettes for too long, then now would especially be a good time to quit since Covid-19 affects the lungs and you definitely could do with a strong pair currently. You definitely don't need us telling you how harmful smoking can be and it also can weaken your immune system.
Limit your alcohol intake: Yes, while we are big on unwinding, we aren't big on drinking regularly. A limited amount of alcohol consumption is fine but drinking too much can weaken your immunity.
Tip: Read this to know more about immunity.
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