What is the Difference Between Vaccine and Booster

The main difference between vaccine and booster is that vaccine is a biological preparation for providing active acquired immunity against a particular infection whereas a booster is an additional dose of vaccine.

Vaccine and booster are two types of doses of the same vaccine in vaccination. However, a vaccine is a primary dose while a booster dose is the additional dose of vaccine important due to the decrease in the protection of the original dose over time. In general, a vaccine provides acquired immunity.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Vaccine
   • Definition, Features, Function
2. What is a Booster
   • Definition, Features, Function
3. Similarities Between Vaccine and Booster
   • Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Vaccine and Booster
   • Comparison with Key Differences

Key Terms

Booster, Vaccination, Vaccine

What is Vaccine

A vaccine is a suspension of weakened, killed, or fragmented microorganisms or toxins, or other biological preparation. The preparation can be either antibodies, lymphocytes, or messenger RNA (mRNA). The main function of a vaccine is to provide active acquired immunity against a particular infection, primarily preventing the disease. In general, a vaccine stimulates the immune system to attack a particular infection. After stimulation, B cells become sensitized and ready to respond to the agent should it ever gain entry to the body.

Figure 1: Vaccine

Furthermore, some vaccines confer passive immunity by providing antibodies or lymphocytes. However, these antibodies and lymphocytes are prepared by another organism, typically by an animal or by a human. Moreover, the main characteristic feature of a vaccine is that it is administrated by injection. Other than that, some vaccines are given orally or nasally. Some of the infectious diseases that have vaccination are hepatitis A and B, yellow fever, tetanus, influenza, mumps,  and measles.

What is Booster

A vaccine booster is an additional dose of vaccine that provides protection with the decreasing effectiveness of the original vaccine dose. Therefore, a booster helps to maintain strong protection against disease.

Figure 2: Vaccine Components

Moreover, adjuvants are another content of a vaccine that boosts the immune response by increasing immunogenicity. Normally, this is useful when the antigen has low immunogenicity and a small amount of antigen is present. Adjuvants may also modify the immune response of a vaccine.

Similarities Between Vaccine and Booster

• Vaccines and boosters are two types of vaccine doses with different administrations.
• Moreover, their main function is to provide strong protection against infectious diseases.

Difference Between Vaccine and Booster

Definition

Vaccine refers to a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity against a particular infectious disease while booster refers to an additional dose of vaccine that provides protection with the decreasing effectiveness of the original vaccine dose.

Significance

Usually, the vaccine is the original dose while the booster is an additional dose of the same vaccine.

Administration

Also, the vaccine is the first dose while the booster is the second, and the doses that follow the vaccine.

Function

The main function of a vaccine is to immunize a person against a particular infectious disease while a booster provides long-term effectiveness of the vaccine.

Conclusion

In brief, a vaccine is the biological suspension of either weakened, killed, or fragmented microorganisms or toxins. There are two types of immunity that a vaccine can provide by a vaccine: active acquired immunity and passive immunity. In active immunity, B cells undergo immunization, producing antibodies. However, in passive immunity, another person or animal produces the antibodies against a particular disease and those antibodies or lymphocytes are in the vaccination. On the other hand, a booster is a second or third dose of vaccine important in keeping strong protection against infectious disease. Moreover, the protection against the disease weakens over time. But, booster doses prevent the weakening of the protection by the vaccine. Therefore, the main difference between vaccines and booster is their function.

References:

1. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Vaccine. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 9, 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Smallpox vaccine” By James Gathany,  CDC – Own Work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “WHO EN Vaccines Topic Two Ingredients static 8Dec2020” By WHO – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0 igo) via Commons Wikimedia