Vaccines work in a very complex way. The human immune system is broken into two parts, the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is made up of components like skin, mucus, and macrophages that engulf cells to destroy them. The innate immune system is something that all humans have. Vaccines work with the adaptive immune system. This part of the immune system can remember antigens by producing antibodies that bind to them. Vaccines expose the adaptive immune system to weakened or dead antigens. The adaptive immune system builds antibodies against the weakened or dead antigen so that when a live version of that antigen invades the body an immune response can be triggered immediately. Without the adaptive immune system the innate immune system would be overwhelmed and the host human would experience symptoms of disease.
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