How Does the Flu Vaccine Work? How Does the Flu Vaccine Work?

Flu vaccines teach the immune system to recognize the influenza virus and produce antibodies tailor-made to destroy it.

Influenza virus

Antibodies

They contain altered influenza viruses that are either:

attenuated (weakened)

inactivated (killed)

fragmented

That way, when they’re injected into your body, they won’t make you sick.

But your immune system will see a threat and send different types of white blood cells to destroy the altered virus.

Certain immune system cells — B cells and killer T cells — will remember what the virus looks like.

B cells will also produce antibodies that specifically target the flu virus.

Helper T cell

B cell

Dendritic cell

Killer T cell

So, if the real virus gets into your body, the immune system will recognize it and destroy it.

Replay

Flu vaccines teach the immune system to recognize the influenza virus and produce antibodies tailor-made to destroy it.

Helper T Cell

Killer T Cell

B Cell

Dendritic Cell