Difference Between Antibiotics and Vaccines

The main difference between antibiotics and vaccines is that vaccines boost your immune system to prevent disease before it occurs, while antibiotics are used to treat active bacterial infections. They both have different mechanisms of action.

Antibiotics vs. Vaccines

Here are the main Difference Between Antibiotics and Vaccines:

Factors	Antibiotics	Vaccines
Definition	Medications used to treat bacterial infections	Biological preparations that stimulate the immune system to prevent specific diseases
Purpose	Kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria	Trigger an immune response to prevent viral or bacterial infections
Target	Specific to bacteria	Target specific viruses or bacteria
Mode of Action	Interfere with bacterial cell processes	Activate the immune system to recognize and destroy pathogens
Treatment	Used to cure bacterial infections	Used to prevent or reduce the severity of certain infectious diseases
Effect on Existing Infections	Can treat existing infections	Not effective for treating existing infections
Resistance Development	Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics	Vaccines do not directly lead to resistance development
Examples	Penicillin, Amoxicillin	Measles vaccine, Influenza vaccine