With more and more people curious about the vaccine development process, one type of vaccine has received a great deal of attention. Live virus vaccines, or “attenuated” vaccines, use a weakened form of the actual virus. Naturally, this sounds spooky, but the science behind it may put your mind at ease.
References
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. (n.d.). The history of vaccines: timeline. The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2022). Vaccines (immunizations).
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Written by:
Lauren Smith, MALauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Reviewed by:
Karen Hovav, MD, FAAPKaren Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.
