RESUME APPLICATION PAY PREMIUM
Fund Performance

Fund Performance

Knowledge Center

Knowledge Center

About Us

About Us

Tools and Calculators

Tools & Calculators

Quick links

Mobile (Download app)
  • Webpages
  • Documents
  • HDFC Life ClassicAssure PlusInvestment
  • HDFC Life ClassicAssure PlusInvestment
  • HDFC Life ClassicAssure PlusInvestment

For NRI Customers

(To Buy a Policy)

(If you're our existing customer)

For Online Policy Purchase

(New and Ongoing Applications)

Branch Locator

For Existing Customers

(Issued Policy)

Fund Performance Check

RESUME APPLICATION PAY PREMIUM

What do you want to do?

Quick links

Mobile (Download app)

Download HDFC Life App

Buy plans, track your policy, make renewal payments & monitor fund performance with HDFC Life App, Download Now!

Apple Logo Go to Google Play Store

Active Immunity vs Passive Immunity

down-arrow
Active Immunity vs Passive Immunity
September 01, 2022

Table of Content

 

An Introduction To The Concept Of Passive Immunity

Passive Immunity is the ability of the body to defend itself against infectious diseases. Your immune system can fight infection from a disease if you are immune to it. Immunity can be innate or acquired. Immunity, often known as innate immunity, is immunity that an organism is born with. Immunity of this type is inherited from one's parents. An organism's genetic immunity protects them for the rest of their lives. Innate immunity is made up of the following components:

  1. External defences:

    External defences, often known as the first line of defence, work to protect an organism against pathogen exposure. Skin, tears, and stomach acid are examples of external defences.

  2. Internal defences:

    Once a pathogen has entered the body, internal defences act as a second line of defence. Inflammation and fevers are examples of internal defences.

  3. The third layer of protection is adaptive immunity, also known as acquired immunity. An organism's adaptive immunity defends it from a specific infection. Adaptive immunity is divided into two categories: active immunity and passive immunity.

What are the types of immunity?

  • Understanding Active Immunity

Active immunity is immunity to a pathogen that develops after exposure to the infection. When B cells come into contact with a pathogen, they produce memory cells as well as antibodies. Memory cells are a sort of B cell that is formed after a primary infection and has the ability to recognise the pathogen. Memory cells can live for decades, waiting for the infection to re-invade the host. When the body is exposed to the pathogen a second time, the immune response is stronger, and the illness agent is dealt with more swiftly.

Immunity does not develop immediately after exposure to a pathogen. Active immunity can take days or weeks to develop following the first encounter. However, once it has done so, the protection can last a lifetime. Active immunity can develop naturally or as a result of immunisation.

  • Understanding Passive Immunity

Passive immunity refers to disease protection provided by antibodies produced outside of the body. Passive immunity can be either natural or induced by the mother. Immunity passed down from mother to kid is known as maternal passive immunity or natural passive immunity. Antibodies are delivered through the placenta before the child is born to protect the infant against sickness. Antibodies present in breast milk continue to provide passive immunity to an infant after delivery.

Injected antibodies generated within a different person or animal provide artificial passive immunity. Antiserum is the term for these antibody-containing preparations. Antiserums that produce passive immunity include the rabies vaccination and snake antivenom.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Active Immunity

  1. Active immunity has the advantage of lasting longer than passive immunity. Active immunity produces a type of cell with a long memory, which is triggered when the cell recognises a harmful infection. The cells expand, alerting other immune system cells that something familiar has returned, and they band together to combat something they know how to beat. ‌

  2. Although you usually only ingest non-life-threatening foreign substances, it's possible that you'll come across anything harmful. There is more room for illness and disease since active immunity is random.

  3. Active immunity also doesn't protect you from mutations of diseases against which your body already has antibodies. When illnesses mutate, they take on new forms that your immune system isn't equipped to combat.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Passive Immunity

  1. Passive immunity is beneficial to your health since it allows you to be ready to tackle specific, hazardous illnesses and diseases right away. It defends your body against threats it might not be able to handle on its own.

  2. Passive immunity also provides an immediate boost to your immune system. The biggest disadvantage of passive immunity is that antibodies don't last very long in the body. Because your body doesn't react to certain diseases on a regular basis, the antibodies that combat them will die off without replenishment.

In A Nutshell

Exposure to a pathogen is required to develop active immunity. Antibodies are produced in the body as a result of this. The antigens on the viruses' surfaces serve as markers that bind to the antibodies.

Antibodies are injected into the body from an external source (typically through vaccines) to provide passive immunity. It allows for a rapid response to an illness. Both active and passive immunity play a role in a well-equipped and powerful immune system.

Related Articles

ARN: ED/08/22/28638

Term Plan Articles Term Plan Articles

Investment Articles Investment Articles

Savings Articles Savings Articles

Life Insurance Articles Life Insurance Articles

Tax Articles Tax Articles

Retirement Articles Retirement Articles

ULIP Articles ULIP Articles

Health Plans Articles Health Plans Articles

Child Plans Articles Child Plans Articles

Popular Calculators Popular Calculators

Francis Rodrigues Francis Rodrigues

Francis Rodrigues has a decade long experience in the insurance sector, and as SVP, E-Commerce and Digital Marketing, HDFC Life, manages the online sales channel, as well as digital and performance marketing. He has had hands-on experience in setting up sales channels and functional teams from scratch over a career spanning 2 decades.

LinkedIn profile
Author Profile Written By:
Vishal Subharwal Vishal Subharwal

Vishal Subharwal heads the Strategy, Marketing, E-Commerce, Digital Business & Sustainability initiatives at HDFC Life. He is responsible for crafting and ensuring successful implementation of the overall organisation strategy.

LinkedIn profile
Reviewed By Reviewed By:

Here's all you should know about life insurance.

We help you to make informed insurance decisions for a lifetime.

How to Use Free Medical Checkups Covered by Your Health Insurance?

How to Use Free Medical Checkups Covered by Your Health Insurance?

Ensure your well-being with free health checkups included in our insurance policy. Regular medical assessments help monitor your health. Read our blog for more information.

Difference Between Mediclaim And Health Insurance

Understanding Waiting Periods in Health Insurance and Its Types

Health Insurance Coverage for Bone Marrow Transplant: A Detailed Guide

Explore our detailed guide on health insurance coverage for bone marrow transplants. Find the information you need to ensure comprehensive support in critical times.

Health Insurance Coverage for Bone Marrow Transplant: A Detailed Guide
Important Things to Keep In Mind While Buying a Family Floater Plan Previous
Eating habits to be avoided to stay healthy Next
HDFC life
HDFC life

HDFC Life

Reviewed by Life Insurance Experts

HDFC LIFE IS A TRUSTED LIFE INSURANCE PARTNER

We at HDFC Life are committed to offer innovative products and services that enable individuals live a ‘Life of Pride’. For over two decades we have been providing life insurance plans - protection, pension, savings, investment, annuity and health.

Popular Search

Popular Searches