You can get it from vaccines.
Vaccines provides active immunity to certain diseases.
Active Immunity
Artificially acquired Active- vaccines (active or live viruses that are lifelong immunity) Artificially acquired Passive - gamma globulin injection that is temporary (used for overseas trips)
Active immunity is generated by your body. So you get active immunity as a result of infections or due to vaccines. Passive immunity is not generated by your body. Here the antibodies are to be supplied. Child gets the antibodies from mother. Alternately you get the antibodies via injections. The effect of active immunity is long lasting. The effect of passive immunity is short lived. So the active immunity is considered as better. The passive immunity has one advantage. It is available with immediate effect, while it takes about two to three weeks, before the effects of active immunity is available.
Toxoids are involved in active immunity. They are chemically modified toxins that are used as vaccines to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against the toxin. This provides long-term protection against the toxin-producing bacteria.
Active immunity is of two kinds: Natural active immunity: This is acquired when a pathogen enters the body and immune response occurs. This is stored by the memory cells and eliminates the pathogen for the second time as soon as it enters the body. Acquired active immunity: This artificial and it is induced through a artificial source like vaccines.
The Rabies vaccine is a killed vaccine & the first one should be given around 4-5 months of age. Don't forget about the other vaccines needed for your pet. Have your Veterinarian do a check up on your pet. I don't think they use "live" vaccines, only Modified Live or Killed.
Immunity to a disease is achieved through the presence of antibodies to that disease in a person's system. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to neutralize or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms. Antibodies are disease-specific. For example, measles antibody will protect a person who is exposed to measles disease, but will have no effect if he or she is exposed to mumps. There are two types of immunity: active and passive. Active Immunity Active immunity results when exposure to a disease organism triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to that disease. Exposure to the disease organism can occur through infection with the actual disease (resulting in natural immunity), or introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination (vaccine-induced immunity). Either way, if an immune person comes into contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will recognize it and immediately produce the antibodies needed to fight it. Active immunity is long-lasting, and sometimes life-long.
Active immunity can be acquired through natural exposure to an infectious agent, which triggers the body's immune response to produce antibodies. It can also be acquired through vaccination, where the immune system is exposed to a weakened or inactivated form of the pathogen, leading to the production of antibodies without causing illness.
Active Immunity - Vaccines are used for health purposes to expose our bodies to a particular antigen. These antigens are usually killed or severely weakened to decrease their potency. After destroying these pathogens, the body stores some T cells as memory cells, due to the fact they code for a particular antigen and can be when needed. This memory in T cells can be a means of artificially acquiring immunity while a genuine attack by a pathogen is a naturally acquired type of immunity. Passive Immunity - This is where immunity to particular antigens as a result of genetic traits passed on from parents rendering the offspring immune to a particular pathogenic threat.
There is innate immunity (that you are born with) and acquired immunity. Acquired immunity you get when you are vaccinated or you get the disease and fight it off. The best example is that of what we call common colds. There are about 100 different viruses that cause them. This is one reason that babies and young children seem to be always be coming down with one or getting over one.