A 6-year-old male is brought to his pediatrician's office with chickenpox. He has had symptoms for one week, and his mother is concerned about the patient's 8-year-old sister because she had a long, painful chickenpox infection 2 years prior. Of note, the patient was not vaccinated against chickenpox because his parents did not think it was a serious enough virus to warrant the pain of the injection.
-Which form of acquired immunity is the patient developing by having this infection?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is developing active natural immunity, which means that his own immune system is producing antibodies against the virus as a response to the infection. The immunity is natural because it is acquired through exposure to the pathogen rather than through vaccination or antibody transfer from another individual (passive immunity).

A 6-Year-Old Male Is Brought to His Pediatrician's Office with Chickenpox