What are the pros and cons of passive immunity?
It can provide critical support to an individual in need, such as someone who has been bitten by a snake.
The transferred antibodies start working quickly, often within mere hours.
Passive immunity can override a deficient immune system, making it useful when an individual doesn’t respond to immunisation.
The cons include:
Antibodies are not easy or inexpensive to produce regardless of the source (be it another human, an animal, or created in a lab).
In some cases, antibodies from an animal can cause a severe reaction in the recipient.
Artificial passive immunity is short-lived and restricted to the time the antibodies are in circulation.
