What is an advantage of using live attenuated vaccines?

Using live attenuated vaccines offers the significant advantage of often eliciting a strong immune response. This is largely because live attenuated vaccines contain a weakened form of the pathogen that can still replicate in the host without causing disease. As a result, the immune system recognizes and responds to the antigens presented by the pathogen, leading to a robust and often long-lasting immune response.

When a live attenuated vaccine is administered, it stimulates both the humoral (antibody-mediated) and cellular (T-cell mediated) branches of the immune system. This dual activation helps the body create memory cells that can quickly respond if exposed to the actual pathogen in the future. This strong and comprehensive immune response is one reason live attenuated vaccines are effective for diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, and yellow fever.

While other choices may seem appealing, they do not hold the same weight as the strong immune response provided by live attenuated vaccines. For instance, these vaccines typically do not have a longer shelf life when compared to some inactivated or subunit vaccines, may require more precise storage conditions to maintain their efficacy, and while they often require fewer doses than inactivated vaccines, this is not universal across all types of vaccines. Additionally, the production cost can