ACQUIRED IMMUNITY Definition & Meaning

acquired immunity

noun

Immunology.

immunity arising from exposure to antigens.

acquired immunity

noun

the immunity produced by exposure of an organism to antigens, which stimulates the production of antibodies

acquired immunity

Immunity that is not inherited. Acquired immunity can be active or passive.
◆ Active immunity results from the development of antibodies in response to an antigen, as from exposure to an infectious disease or through vaccination.
◆ Passive immunity results from the transmission of antibodies, as from mother to fetus through the placenta or by the injection of antiserum.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of acquired immunity¹

First recorded in 1930–35

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Thankfully, deaths have declined sharply from their peak during the Omicron surge, thanks to vaccination and acquired immunity from previous infections, which can make it feel like the virus is in the rearview.

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Still, infections are at relative lows lately thanks in part to acquired immunity from infections and vaccines.

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These broadly reactive antibodies likely represent a common mechanism of acquired immunity to severe malaria and offer novel insights for the design of a PfEMP1-based vaccine or treatment targeting severe malaria.

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Even people with acquired immunity from Kraken were unable to mount an effective immune response.

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Fortunately, the current Omicron variant appears to be less virulent than the Delta variant, which surfaced in the summer of 2021, and more people have acquired immunity to the coronavirus by now.

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