Which type of vaccine is the Sabin polio vaccine?

The Sabin polio vaccine is classified as a live attenuated vaccine. This means that it contains a weakened form of the poliovirus, which is capable of stimulating an immune response without causing the disease in healthy individuals. Live attenuated vaccines are designed to replicate within the body, prompting a strong and lasting immune response, including long-term immunity.

This type of vaccine is particularly effective in providing immunity and can lead to herd immunity within a population, as the weakened virus can be shed in the stool of vaccinated individuals, potentially immunizing others in the community who have not been vaccinated. The Sabin vaccine has been instrumental in global polio eradication efforts.

In contrast, killed or inactivated vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been killed, so they cannot replicate or cause disease. Subunit vaccines consist of pieces of the virus instead of the whole pathogen, which may generate a weaker immune response compared to live attenuated vaccines.