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Doctor Decoded: What Are “Live Virus” Vaccines?
Also known as attenuated vaccines, live virus vaccines are commonly misunderstood. Learn how they’re made and how they work.
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD
Updated on September 29, 2023With 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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