What type of immune response does a live attenuated vaccine typically produce?

A live attenuated vaccine typically produces a strong and ongoing immune response because it contains a weakened form of the pathogen that can still replicate in the host. This replication stimulates the immune system effectively, leading to the activation of both the humoral (antibody-mediated) and cellular (cell-mediated) branches of the immune response.

When the attenuated organism is introduced into the body, it mimics an actual infection, prompting the immune system to produce a robust response that includes the generation of memory cells. These memory cells enable the immune system to respond more efficiently and rapidly upon subsequent exposures to the actual pathogen.

The response generated is not only strong but also tends to be long-lasting, often providing lifetime immunity with a single or few doses. This is in contrast to other types of vaccines, such as inactivated or subunit vaccines, which may elicit a weaker response and often require booster shots to maintain immunity.