Following an mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, why does subsequent exposure to the virus elicit a faster antibody response than the initial vaccination?

💡 Explanation

Vaccine-induced adaptive immunity creates memory B cells. These cells undergo affinity maturation during the initial exposure, therefore upon secondary exposure to the antigen, memory B cells rapidly differentiate into plasma cells. This results in faster antibody production, rather than relying on the slower activation of naive B cells.

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