What is the difference between a vaccine and a vaccine booster?

When it comes to disease prevention, vaccines and vaccine boosters play crucial roles. Here's a breakdown of the key differences between the two:

Vaccine

A vaccine is a medical intervention designed to stimulate the immune system to develop immunity against a specific disease. Vaccines typically contain weakened or inactivated forms of a pathogen, or just a part of it, to trigger an immune response without causing the disease itself. The immune system remembers this encounter, enabling it to recognize and fight off the actual pathogen in the future, preventing the individual from falling ill.

Vaccine Booster

A vaccine booster, on the other hand, is an additional dose of a vaccine given after the initial vaccination series. It serves to "boost" the immune response, enhancing and prolonging the protection provided by the initial vaccine. Booster shots are commonly used to reinforce immunity over time, especially for diseases where immunity may wane or new variants emerge.

While vaccines establish the initial immunity, booster shots help maintain and strengthen the immune response, ensuring long-term protection against diseases.