Multimedia Gallery
Vaccines
Ouch!
Vaccines help to give the body immunity from infections. Different vaccines work in different ways. Some vaccines inject fragments of a virus or bacteria called antigens into the body. Once in the blood, these antigens circulate among the blood cells, which include red blood cells and white blood cells. White blood cells, such as B and T cells, help fend off foreign invaders.
When antigens invade tissue, they attract macrophages. These are scavenger cells that engulf the antigens. The macrophages then signal to T-cells that the antigens are invading. Killer T cells gather and attack the antigens. Then suppressor T cells stop the attack.
After the vaccination, B-cells make defensive antibodies against the antigen. These antibodies help the cells remember this particular antigen, so that they can fight it off if the body is infected again.
Vaccines
Review Date: 7/31/2024
Reviewed By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 01/08/2025.
Animations
- Blood pressure
- Bunion
- Cataract
- Childhood obesity
- Cholesterol and triglycerid...
- Coronary artery disease
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetes - retinal conditions
- Diabetes and risk of seriou...
- Dialysis
- Erection problems
- Exercise
- Foot pain
- Gallstones
- Glaucoma
- Hardening of arteries
- HbA1c
- Healthy Guide to Fast Food
- Heart attack
- Hypertension
- Hypertension - overview
- Immune response
- Smoking
- Smoking tips to quit
- Stroke
- Stroke
- The goals of proper type 2 ...
- Tobacco use - effects on ar...
- Tracking your blood pressur...
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Understanding cholesterol r...
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infection - adults
- Vaccines
- Venous insufficiency
Illustrations
- 15/15 rule
- Abdominal girth measurement
- Abdominal muscles
- Acanthosis nigricans - close-up
- Acanthosis nigricans on the hand
- Acute MI
- Adjustable gastric banding
- Aerobic exercise
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
- Angina
- Anterior heart arteries
- Atherosclerosis of the extr...
- Autonomic Nerves
- Baby bottle tooth decay
- Benefit of regular exercise
- Biguanides
- Blood pressure
- Blood pressure check
- Blood test
- Blood test
- Brain
- Brainstem function
- Calculating body frame size
- Candida - fluorescent stain
- Candidiasis, cutaneous - ar...
- Carotid dissection
- Carotid stenosis - X-ray of...
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cataract - close-up of the eye
- Central nervous system
- Central nervous system and ...
- Cerebellum - function
- Childhood obesity
- Children's diets
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol producers
- Circle of Willis
- Circulation of blood throug...
- Complex carbohydrates
- Coronary artery blockage
- Coronary artery disease
- Creatinine tests
- DASH diet
- Dermatitis - reaction to tinea
- Dermatitis - stasis on the leg
- Developmental process of at...
- Diabetes and exercise
- Diabetes and nerve damage
- Diabetes risk factors
- Diabetic blood circulation ...
- Diabetic emergency supplies
- Diabetic foot care
- Diabetic foot care
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Different types of weight gain
- Digestive system
- Endarterectomy
- Endocrine glands
- Energy levels
- Exercise - a powerful tool
- Exercise 30 minutes a day
- Exercise and age
- Exercise and heart rate
- Exercise can lower blood pr...
- Exercise with friends
- Eye
- Fast food
- Fasting plasma glucose test
- Female reproductive anatomy
- Female urinary tract
- Femoral nerve damage
- Fish in diet
- Flexibility exercise
- Follicle development
- Folliculitis - decalvans on...
- Folliculitis on the leg
- Food and insulin release
- Food label guide for candy
- Food label guide for whole ...
- Foot swelling
- Fruits and vegetables
- Fungus
- Gestational diabetes
- Gingivitis
- Gingivitis
- Glaucoma
- Glucose in blood
- Glucose test
- Granuloma - fungal (Majocchi's)
- Granuloma - fungal (Majocchi's)
- Granuloma annulare - close-up
- Granuloma annulare on the elbow
- Granuloma annulare on the eyelid
- Granuloma annulare on the legs
- Hair follicle anatomy
- Hammer toe
- Healthy diet
- Healthy diet
- Heart - front view
- Heart - section through the...
- Heart attack symptoms
- High blood pressure tests
- Influenza
- Influenza vaccines
- Ingrown toenail
- Insulin production and diabetes
- Insulin pump
- Insulin pump
- Islets of Langerhans
- Isometric exercise
- Jaw pain and heart attacks
- Kidney - blood and urine flow
- Kidney anatomy
- Kidneys
- Left cerebral hemisphere - ...
- Lifestyle changes
- Lipocytes (fat cells)
- Low blood sugar symptoms
- Male urinary system
- Male urinary tract
- Monitoring blood pressure
- myPlate
- Nail infection - candidal
- Necrobiosis lipoidica diabe...
- Necrobiosis lipoidica diabe...
- Nervous system
- Nervous system
- Normal uterine anatomy (cut...
- Obesity and health
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Oral glucose tolerance test
- Osmolality test
- Pancreas
- Pancreas and kidneys
- Pelvic laparoscopy
- Pesticides and fruit
- Pharmacy options
- Physical activity - prevent...
- Pituitary and TSH
- Plaque buildup in arteries
- Pneumococcal vaccine
- Post myocardial infarction ...
- Posterior heart arteries
- Prevention of heart disease
- Progressive build-up of pla...
- Proteins
- Quitting smoking
- Radial nerve dysfunction
- Read food labels
- Retinal dye injection
- Right cerebral hemisphere -...
- Ringworm - tinea corporis o...
- Ringworm - tinea corporis o...
- Ringworm - tinea manuum on ...
- Ringworm - tinea on the han...
- Ringworm of the scalp
- Ringworm, tinea capitis - c...
- Roux-en-Y stomach surgery f...
- Salad nutrients
- Saturated fats
- Secondary infection
- Simple carbohydrates
- Slit-lamp exam
- Smoking hazards
- Sources of fiber
- Soy
- Stable angina
- Starchy foods
- Stein-Leventhal syndrome
- Stomach
- Stomach disease or trauma
- Stye
- Sulfonylureas drug
- Surface anatomy - normal palm
- Surface anatomy - normal wrist
- Swollen gums
- Thiazolidinediones
- Thyroid uptake test
- Tinea corporis - ear
- Tinea versicolor - close-up
- Tinea versicolor - close-up
- Tinea versicolor - shoulders
- Tinea versicolor on the back
- Tooth anatomy
- Tooth anatomy
- Trans fatty acids
- Type I diabetes
- Ulnar nerve damage
- Untreated hypertension
- Urine sample
- Uterus
- Vaginal discharge
- Visual field test
- Vitiligo
- Vitiligo - drug induced
- Vitiligo on the back and arm
- Vitiligo on the face
- Weight loss
- White nail syndrome
- Wood's lamp test - of the scalp
- Wrist anatomy
- Xerosis - close-up
- Yeast and mold
- Yeast infections
- Yoga
- Yo-yo dieting