When a client asks about tetanus antitoxin, which immunologic benefit does it provide?

When a client asks about tetanus antitoxin, which immunologic benefit does it provide?

• A. Passive immunity is produced
• B. Active immunity is produced
• C. A combination of active and passive immunity
• D. No immunity is produced

Answer: (A)

This question tests the difference between passive and active immunity. Tetanus antitoxin provides passive immunity because it supplies ready-made antibodies against the tetanus toxin. The recipient’s immune system isn’t activating its own response or creating memory cells; the protection comes from antibodies that are already formed and borrowed from another source. This offers quick, short-term protection, but it wanes as those antibodies are cleared from the body. Active immunity, in contrast, would require the person’s immune system to respond to an antigen (like a vaccine or infection) and develop its own antibodies and memory for long-lasting protection. So the immunologic benefit here is the immediate, temporary protection provided by passive immunity.

This question tests the difference between passive and active immunity. Tetanus antitoxin provides passive immunity because it supplies ready-made antibodies against the tetanus toxin. The recipient’s immune system isn’t activating its own response or creating memory cells; the protection comes from antibodies that are already formed and borrowed from another source. This offers quick, short-term protection, but it wanes as those antibodies are cleared from the body. Active immunity, in contrast, would require the person’s immune system to respond to an antigen (like a vaccine or infection) and develop its own antibodies and memory for long-lasting protection. So the immunologic benefit here is the immediate, temporary protection provided by passive immunity.