Title: Summary of types of specific immunity
Course: Immunization - Ethiopia (Full)

Summary of types of specific immunity

Table 1.1 gives a summary of the four different types of specific immunity, with examples to illustrate each of them.

Type of specific immunity | Example of how immunity might be acquired
Naturally acquired immunity | Active | Infection
Passive | Maternal antibodies crossing the placenta, or in breastmilk
Artificially acquired immunity | Active | Intentional exposure to antigens in a vaccine
Passive | Injection or transfusion of someone else’s antibodies

You give a polio vaccination containing polio antigens to a baby girl. What type of immunity will the child develop? Explain your answer.

Show answer

The child will develop artificially acquired active immunity. She was deliberately exposed to polio antigens in the vaccine, so her immunity is artificially acquired. She produced her own antibodies and memory cells directed against the polio antigens, so her immunity is active.