Artificial Passive Immunity

It may be necessary to inject people with antibodies for some life-threatening diseases because antibodies are not produced quickly enough or in sufficient quantities.This gives the individual artificial passive immunity.The antibodies are made by injecting animals with the pathogen and extracting the antibodies from their blood.The protection fades within weeks or months as there are no memory cells made and therefore no immunological memory.Examples include antivenom, injections of antibodies harvested from animals to neutralise venom after a snake or spider bite.Unlike vaccinations, which create active immunity, passive immunity is strictly used for immediate intervention or to prevent disease in vulnerable patients before their body can fight off an infection naturally.