An inactivated vaccine (or killed vaccine) is a
vaccine consisting of
virus particles,
bacteria, or other
pathogens that have been grown in
culture and then killed to destroy disease-producing capacity. In contrast,
live vaccines use pathogens that are still alive (but are almost always
attenuated, that is, weakened). Pathogens for inactivated vaccines are grown under controlled conditions and are killed as a means to reduce infectivity and thus prevent
infection from the vaccine.[1]
Because inactivated pathogens tend to produce a weaker response by the immune system than live pathogens,
immunologic adjuvants and multiple "
booster" injections may be required in some vaccines to provide an effective immune response against the pathogen.[1][4][5] Attenuated vaccines are often preferable for generally healthy people because a single dose is often safe and very effective. However, some people cannot take attenuated vaccines because the pathogen poses too much risk for them (for example,
elderly people or people with
immunodeficiency). For those patients, an inactivated vaccine can provide protection.[citation needed]
Mechanism
The pathogen particles are destroyed and cannot divide, but the pathogens maintain some of their integrity to be recognized by the immune system and evoke an adaptive immune response.[6][7] When manufactured correctly, the vaccine is not infectious, but improper inactivation can result in intact and infectious particles.[citation needed]
When a vaccine is administered, the
antigen will be taken up by an
antigen-presenting cell (APC) and transported to a draining lymph node in vaccinated people. The APC will place a piece of the antigen, an
epitope, on its surface along with a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule. It can now interact with and activate T cells. The resulting helper T cells will then stimulate an
antibody-mediated or
cell-mediated immune response and develop an antigen-specific
adaptive response.[8][9] This process creates an
immunological memory against the specific pathogen and allows the immune system to respond more effectively and rapidly after subsequent encounters with that pathogen.[6][8][9]
Inactivated vaccines tend to produce an immune response that is primarily antibody-mediated.[3][10] However, deliberate adjuvant selection allows inactivated vaccines to stimulate a more robust cell-mediated immune response.[1][7]
Types
Inactivated vaccines can be divided by the method used for killing the pathogen.[4][1]
Whole pathogen inactivated vaccines are produced when an entire pathogen is 'killed' using heat, chemicals, or radiation,[5] although only
formaldehyde and
beta-Propiolactone exposure are widely used in human vaccines.[11][12]
A minority of sources use the term inactivated vaccines to broadly refer to non-live vaccines. Under this definition, inactivated vaccines also include
subunit vaccines and
toxoid vaccines.[3][8]
Inactivated pathogens are more stable than live pathogens. Increased stability facilitates the storage and transport of inactivated vaccines.[8][16][17]
Unlike
live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines cannot revert to a
virulent form and cause disease.[6][10] For example, there have been rare instances of the live attenuated form of poliovirus present in the oral
polio vaccine (OPV) becoming virulent, leading to the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) replacing OPV in many countries with controlled wild-type polio transmission.[6][9]
Unlike live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines do not replicate and are not contraindicated for
immunocompromised individuals.[6][7][8]
Disadvantages
Inactivated vaccines have a reduced ability to produce a robust immune response for long-lasting immunity when compared to live attenuated vaccines.[3]Adjuvants and
boosters are often required to produce and maintain protective immunity.[10][16]
Pathogens must be cultured and inactivated for the creation of killed whole-organism vaccines.[6][9] This process slows down vaccine production when compared to
genetic vaccines.[8]
^
abcWHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization (19 June 2019).
"Influenza". World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 22 October 2021.
^
ab"Types of Vaccines". Vaccines.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 23 July 2013. Archived from
the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
^Ghaffar A, Haqqi T.
"Immunization". Immunology. The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina. Archived from
the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 2009-03-10.