What is the primary purpose of vaccines and toxoids?

The primary purpose of vaccines and toxoids is to stimulate the immune response. Vaccines work by introducing harmless components of pathogens—such as inactivated or attenuated viruses or bacteria or their parts—into the body. This exposure allows the immune system to recognize these components as foreign, prompting it to mount a response. It prepares the immune system to fight the disease more effectively if it encounters the actual pathogen in the future.

Toxoids, which are inactivated toxic compounds produced by certain bacteria, serve a similar purpose. They train the immune system to recognize and combat the toxins rather than the bacteria that produce them. By stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies, vaccines and toxoids help prevent infections and diseases, enabling long-term immunity.

Focusing on the other options, inhibiting inflammation is not the primary function of vaccines; instead, inflammatory responses can be part of the body's natural response to vaccination. Providing immediate pain relief pertains more to analgesic medications rather than the immunological action of vaccines. Reducing bronchial resistance is related to respiratory conditions and is not pertinent to the function of vaccines and toxoids, which primarily target immunization.