Question

The process of weakening a pathogen for preparing a vaccine is called

• A. Immunization
• B. Attenuation
• C. Vaccination
• D. Virulence reduction

Hint:

Weakened Live Vaccine = Attenuated Vaccine.
Killed Vaccine = Inactivated Vaccine.
This distinction is fundamental to immunology.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Vaccines are designed to stimulate a protective immune response against a pathogen without causing the clinical disease itself.
This is achieved by modifying the pathogen or using only specific parts of it.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us define the terminology used in vaccinology:
Immunization is the overall process of making an individual immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by administering a vaccine.
Vaccination is the physical act of administering a vaccine to an animal or human.
Virulence reduction is a general descriptive phrase, rather than a formal biological term used in vaccine manufacturing.
Attenuation is the specific scientific process of reducing the virulence (harmfulness) of a live pathogen (virus or bacterium) while keeping it viable (alive).
An attenuated pathogen is weakened so that it can still replicate inside the host and stimulate a strong, long-lasting cellular and humoral immune response, but cannot cause severe disease.
Pathogens are typically attenuated by passaging them repeatedly through non-native host tissues or cell cultures under controlled laboratory conditions, causing them to accumulate mutations that reduce their adaptation to the primary host.
Live attenuated vaccines are highly effective in aquaculture for protecting fish against viral and bacterial diseases.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The process of weakening a pathogen for vaccine preparation is called Attenuation.