Vaccine

A substance which stimulates the immune system to respond to a threat, such as bacteria, viruses or cancer. A vaccine is a safe way to protect the body from these threats and prepare your immune system so it can respond quickly if you encounter that threat in the future.

There are different types of vaccines (e.g. RNA vaccines), each with its own benefits and challenges. Vaccines can be:

• Prophylactic – given before exposure to prevent disease
• Therapeutic – given after exposure to help treat disease

Cancer vaccines are type of immunotherapy, and both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines are of research. Some cancers can already be prevented with vaccines – for example, HPV (human Papillomaviruses) vaccines protect against from the most common forms of cervical cancer.